The Mystery of Hiccups

Imagine having the hiccups for almost your whole lifetime! Charles Osborne of Anthon, Iowa, did, hiccupping for over 68 years. He started hiccupping in 1922. Two wives and eight children later, in 1990, his hiccups finally went away. Thankfully, this type of condition is incredibly rare.

Believe it or not, hiccups are somewhat of a mystery to the medical profession. Although many causes of hiccups are understood, such as eating spicy foods or drinking too much, many cases are unexplained. Hiccups can also be a symptom of a stroke or a tumor. But many times, the cause is just "nothing."

Hiccups have been studied for thousands of years, since the time of Hippocrates. In fact there is even a technical term for hiccups, "singultus." But as of yet, there is no known cure. There are, however, many home remedies. Some involve stimulating the back of the throat, like sipping ice water, swallowing sugar, or sucking on a lemon. Others interrupt normal breathing, like holding your breath, breathing into a paper bag, or reacting to sudden fright. Eventually, most hiccups will subside. However, if you do have a case of the hiccups that don't go away, consider seeing your doctor.

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