Remember, hiccups happen when there is an irritation in the diaphragm in the chest cavity. But in this case, anything that affects the abdominal cavity can affect the diaphragm as well, causing hiccups.

Truth Verses False

• Can It Happen If You Swallow Too Much of Air?

Remember, if you swallow too much air, it goes directly to your abdomen. This gives your stomach a feeling of being full which, in turn, can cause hiccups.

• Can I Get Hiccups If I Have a Gas Problem?

Hiccups can also be a reaction of the body trying to get gas out of the stomach, which can once again irritate the diaphragm, causing hiccups.

• Eating or Drinking Too Fast

Eating or drinking too fast gives a feeling of your stomach being full and a full stomach can give you diaphragm spasm, thus hiccups.

• Having Something Really Spicy

Notice how some people get hiccups after having really spicy food?

Some hot and spicy foods can irritate the lining of your food pipe. It may also irritate the lining of the stomach, especially if you are not used to hot and spicy food, and cause hiccups.

• Will Having Sugar Cure My Hiccups?

No, there is no scientific evidence between the two.

• Will It Go If Somebody Suddenly Scares Me?

It may sound bizarre but it can make the hiccups go away at times. What happens is, if there is any unsettled gas in the stomach, it can get dislodged when somebody hits you at the back.

• Drinking Water Upside Down

Remember, drinking water in general helps. So you do not need to try stunts like drinking water upside down because you just might choke.

Over and Above Hiccups

Continuous hiccups could be an indication of something serious such as:

• Pneumonia

If your hiccups are associated with high fever and vomiting, you have to get yourself checked with the doctor immediately as it might be a sign of pneumonia.

• Kidney Disorder

Frequent hiccups can also be a sign of kidney disorder. A kidney disorder can cause a chemical imbalance in the blood which in turn can over stimulate the diaphragm. This causes the diaphragm to contract too often and vigorously.

For home remedies, you can drink slow sips of water. This reduces the irritation in the stomach. Although there is no scientific proof to this, taking deep breaths can help some people as well.

(With inputs from Dr. Arun Rao, General Physician)