What Causes Hiccups?

Updated July 2020.

Hiccups remain a mystery in the medical community. We're not really sure where they come from and we're not sure what they do for us. What we do know is that a hiccup is similar to a forced intake of air, most likely caused by a muscle spasm in the esophagus, or the swallowing tube.

The "hic" sound that you hear is the snap closure of the glottis which separates the feeding tube, or the swallowing tube, from the breathing tube. Most hiccups will go away on their own within an hour. Anything that lasts over an hour should be brought to the attention of your physician.

Talk to a doctor online about hiccups or anything else!