The Where, the Why, and the How by Jenny Volvovski

Author:Jenny Volvovski
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781452119113
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC

WHY DO WE YAWN?

QUESTION / 38

WHY DO WE HICCUP?

HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR ten seconds. Try drinking water from the wrong side of the glass. Have someone scare you. Press on your eyeballs. Chances are, someone suggested one of these folk remedies to you the last time you had the hiccups. There are many tricks to quell hiccups, but why do we hiccup in the first place? Hiccups happen when our diaphragm, the muscle in our chest that controls breathing, spasms involuntarily, causing a sudden rush of air into our lungs. Our vocal cords shut to stem the flow of air, thus producing the sound of a hiccup. No one knows exactly what triggers the diaphragm to spasm, although it’s probably due to stimulation of the nerves connected to the muscle or to a signal from the part of the brain that controls breathing.

Some scientists hypothesize that the neural circuitry implicated in human hiccuping is an evolutionary vestige from our amphibian ancestors who use a similar action to aid respiration with gills during their tadpole stage. Humans have maintained the neural hardware, scientists theorize, because it may benefit suckling infants who must manage the rhythm of breathing and feeding simultaneously.

Harmless, everyday events that can provoke hiccups include drinking carbonated beverages, eating spicy foods, and accidentally swallowing air. More serious and less common events include respiratory illnesses, abdominal disorders, and even brain tumors. Apparently, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in our blood helps suppress hiccups, which is why we’re often told to hold our breath or breathe into a bag when we get them. But then again, research also indicates that oral ingestion of sugar is an effective treatment for hiccups. So next time you get them, will you reach for a paper bag…or a spoonful of sugar?

WRITTEN BY

JILL CONTE MA

ILLUSTRATED BY

DAVE ZACKIN

www.davezackin.com

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