Why do we get hiccups?
The star of the show is a muscle below the lungs called the diaphragm.Hiccups happen when the diaphragm, a muscle below the lungs, suddenly tightens on its own, and right after that the vocal cords snap shut, making a "hic" sound. Eating quickly, fizzy drinks, or strong emotions can trigger them in some people, but often there is no clear reason.
The diaphragm and vocal cords team up
The diaphragm is a muscle below the lungs that works when we breathe in. A hiccup is a sudden, spasm-like tightening of this muscle that happens without us meaning it to. Right after that, the vocal cords, which we use to make our voice, close quickly, and that closing makes the "hic" sound. According to a scientific paper, the vocal cords close about 35 milliseconds (35 thousandths of a second) after the breathing muscles tighten hard.
When are hiccups more likely?
The NHS, the UK's National Health Service, says there is often no obvious reason for hiccups, but that some people find they are triggered by stress, strong emotions such as excitement, or eating and drinking. To help prevent them, it advises avoiding fizzy or hot drinks, alcohol, spicy food, eating very quickly, and having something very cold right after something hot.
What are hiccups for?
Sneezing and coughing help clear things out of the nose and airways, but hiccups have no clearly known purpose. Hiccups are seen in babies still in the womb, and they are especially common in newborns. A 2012 paper suggested they may help remove air from the stomachs of nursing babies, but this is still an idea, not a proven answer.
Stopping them, and when to see a doctor
Most hiccups stop within a few minutes. People try breathing into a paper bag, sipping ice-cold water, or holding their breath for a short time, but the NHS says there is no evidence that these work for everyone (and never put a paper bag over your head). It advises seeing a doctor if hiccups last longer than 48 hours, or keep coming back and affect your daily life. In rare cases, a health condition or a medicine can be the cause.
Based on advice from the NHS (UK National Health Service).
Want to know more?
- Hiccups occur in most mammals. They have been studied in cats, rats, and rabbits, and are often seen in horses and dogs.
- Newborn babies may spend as much as 2.5% of their time hiccupping, and hiccups become less common as they grow.
- The medical name for hiccups is "singultus."
Quick quiz: test yourself
Which muscle suddenly tightens when you hiccup?
Show the answer
- The stomach muscles
- The heart muscle
- The diaphragm
The diaphragm The diaphragm below the lungs tightens on its own, and right after that the vocal cords close, making a "hic" sound.
The diaphragm below the lungs tightens on its own, and right after that the vocal cords close, making a "hic" sound.
Next quiz ›Sources
- HiccupsNHS（イギリス国民保健サービス）
- Hiccups: MedlinePlus Medical EncyclopediaMedlinePlus（米国国立医学図書館）
- Hiccups: A new explanation for the mysterious reflexBioEssays（PMC 掲載の査読論文）
This article was written after checking the sources above as of 2026-10-03. Explanations may change as research progresses. Photo credits are shown below each photo.
