Hiccups are annoying. Not only for you but for all creatures present on Earth. But why do they even occur? What even are Hiccups, and what causes them? We will find out here!
Image Source: Mental Floss
Hiccups, also known as 'Hichki', 'Hicksti', 'hipos', and 'snag' in many Languages, are caused due to sudden involuntary contractions of the Diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle that separates your chest from the abdomen and has an important function in Breathing.
When it suddenly contracts and relaxes, that's when we get a Hiccup. Hiccups have a characteristic sound 'Hic' on which it is named.
When you have Hiccups, the air is breathed suddenly, and the Epiglottis, a muscle that closes the lungs pathway while eating, suddenly closes, forcing the Air into the Lungs.
Image Source: TwistedSifter
Hiccups have no use in Humans, or we can say, scientists, are unable to find any function of Hiccups till now. They think that Hiccups are a relic, that passed on to us modern humans from Evolution. When Tadpoles grow into frogs, they start breathing from lungs, rather than gills. Thus they have hiccups to not taking water inside their respiratory system. This may be passed to us mammals, and now what we know as Hiccups.
Infants have way more Hiccups than an adult because there are maybe some uses in infants. It supposedly helps them not get the Milk into their lungs, and cause any damage to their system.
Right now the functions of Hiccups are unknown, but they are Annoying as ever.
Thanks for Reading!
