The Science of Hiccups
The Attempt to Find an Explanation for Singultus
Science is still unsure exactly what causes hiccups as well as how to cure them. So what exactly have they learned in their studies?
There are countless home remedies out there which claim to be cures for that irritating, though not necessarily debilitating condition known as hiccups.
Do any of them actually work? Well, there is surely something to be said for the power of suggestion, but beyond a placebo effect, it is not certain that there is any validity to the majority of home remedies (which range from benign to positively outrageous and complicated).
What are Hiccups?
A most unfortunate condition, hiccups (a onomatopoeic word supposedly derived from the sound made by a person thus inflicted) are also known by a more scientific name; Singultus (from the Latin word Singult, which is s surprisingly descriptive word, referring to the act of attempting to breath while sobbing).
These generally unwelcome and entirely involuntary spasms of the diaphragm which afflicts most people to varying degrees at one time or another, has, like so many other things in life, many causes.
What Causes Hiccups?
Despite its commonness, singultus actually seems to be shrouded in a somewhat odd veil of mystery, at least from a scientific perspective. No one really knows what causes hiccups.
There are as many explanations as to what causes hiccups as there are which tell how to be rid of them. Popular theories include: Eating too fast, eating hot foods while drinking a cold liquid, laughing or coughing too much, drinking too much of an alcoholic beverage...
The list goes on and on, and while in many cases these things do indeed bring on hiccups, none of this does anything to explain to us what exactly causes of them from a purely physiological standpoint.
What Does Science Say?
There are plenty of scientific theories out there, but none of them has ever been sufficiently proven.
According to most medical scientists, hiccups seem to serve no definite purpose in the body, and do not usually affect people in any long-term negative ways (aside from the occasional embarrassment and slight discomfort).
A Couple Possibilities
One interesting theory for why hiccups exist in the first place revolves around the fact that hiccups occur regularly in unborn children. Some studying this phenomenon have suggested that perhaps hiccups are the body's natural way of strengthening a baby's respiratory system prior to birth, or as a way of keeping unwanted amniotic fluid out of the lungs, a reaction which simply never goes away entirely, even as adulthood is reached.
Other researchers have taken this theory and concluded that hiccups might be an evolutionary remnant from some stage in human development where we might have been closely related to modern-day amphibians.
Of course the jury is still out on this one, but if it were the case, hiccups might be considered to be the spasmodic equivalent of the human appendix, which also seems to serve very little purpose.
In addition to these two theories, it has been demonstrated that hiccups can occasionally serve the purpose of helping to dislodge food that is moving too slowly through the esophagus. SO while hiccups may not necessarily save lives, at least it might be comforting to know that they do serve some purpose, even if not an entirely important or glamorous one.
Is there an Actual Cure Out There?
June 13th of 2006 was an historic day for chronic singultus sufferers everywhere.
This was the day that the very first patent was issued for a potential remedy for chronic hiccups (not the usual spell that goes away on its own after a few minutes, but more for those long suffering hiccupers, for whom it can become a medical problem or major distraction).
For those who care, the patent number for this treatment is #20050080458.
In addition, there have been surgical advances in recent years in order to cure intractable hiccups, but this is only for the most extreme cases.
So the next time someone tells you that the only way to cure hiccups is by drinking a glass of water upside down while holding your nose, closing one eye and singing the Star Spangled Banner, just know that there might one day be an actual alternative out there.
Alternately, with a little patience, hiccups tend to go away on their own just as well.
References:
“Why do We Get Hiccups, and How do you Stop Them?” Ask Glenn.
“LSUHSC neurosurgical team discovers novel therapy for intractable hiccups”
“Hiccups.” Mayo Clinic.
