Most regular people experience hiccups in their lives, but do they know what happens in your body to make this sound? Or why you can't control them?

  Most hiccup fits last three or four minutes, in extreme cases it can last days, even months or years. In the medical world, hiccup fits that go longer than two days are known as persistent hiccups. Fits that last longer than a month are named intractable hiccups. Even this silly sound can be dangerous if it persists.

  Our diaphragm is where this strange phenomenon takes place. The diaphragm is the muscle that moves our lungs so we can breathe. It is dome-shaped and sits in the lower ribs, at the base of the chest. So, it separates our stomach from our chest. It inflates and deflates the lungs by contracting, making the air pressure increase then decrease to let air in and out.

  Hiccups is when this beautiful process goes to the trash.

  They occur when the diaphragm gets a little temperamental and vexed, so it violently spasms down, so an abrupt gulp of air goes down your throat, causing your poor vocal cords to close, and the silly sound we know today transpires. This irritation can occur from laughing too intensely, drinking bubbly drinks, consuming food or drinks too fast or taking in too much. It can even be an unfortunate side effect to certain medications.

  Sadly, there isn’t a black and white way to end your hiccups. Luckily, there are some remedies to try. You can hold your breath, drink water from the opposite side of the cup, put a pinch of sugar under your tongue, get jump scared, gargle ice water, pull out your tongue, or breathe into a paper bag.

  Sources: http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-you-get-rid-of-hiccups

http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/respiratory/hiccup.htm

http://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/diaphragm