Hiccup

Hiccup! Hiccup! Hiccup!

Most mammals (and some other animals) can get hiccups. Insects are a type of animal that does not get hiccups due to them not having the type of breathing system required to cause hiccups.

Be sure to watch the funny videos of dogs and puppies having hiccups at the end of this post.

Hiccups are repetitive, uncontrollable contractions of the diaphragm muscle. They occur when something irritates the diaphragm into a sudden contraction, quickly pushing air up into the lungs. Each spasm of the diaphragm makes the vocal cords and larynx suddenly close. The body then reacts with a gasp and a noise, creating the sound characteristic that we relate to hiccups.

INTERESTING FACTS

  1. Charles Osbourne had the hiccups non-stop from 1922 until 1990.
  2. Infants hiccup more than adults.
  3. Hiccups are usually caused by eating or drinking too much too fast.
  4. Ultrasounds have shown that fetuses can have hiccups.
  5. The medical name for hiccups is singultus.
INTERESTING VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG1dRrUiEx0

INTERESTING REFERENCES
  1. HowStuffWorks.com – Can dogs get the hiccups?
  2. ScienceFocus.com – Do animals get hiccups?
  3. BuzzFeedNews.com – 13 Facts You Definitely Don’t Know About Hiccups

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AnimalsScience

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