Sometimes, somewhere you must have got bouts of hiccups. It is troublesome and annoying. They are usually for a limited period, but continued episodes/bouts of hiccups, however, may indicate an underlying pathologic disorder and calls for immediate medical attention. There are few home remedies as well that can be attempted to get rid of hiccups. but that is for self-limited hiccups and not for the chronic ones.
The author wants to put a disclaimer that the purpose of this article is not to recommend a treatment for hiccups rather provide a few tips and tricks to get rid of hiccups. Treatment of intractable hiccups often involves drug therapy.
Hiccups are incessant, uncontrollable contractions of the diaphragm-the muscle that parts the chest from the abdomen and plays a vital role in breathing. When the diaphragm contracts, the lungs take in oxygen. When the diaphragm relaxes, the lungs release the carbon dioxide. Each diaphragm contraction is trailed by a sudden closure of vocal cords, producing the rhythm called hiccups