Definition of Hiccups
It is thought that a number of specific nerves in the spinal cord at the back of the neck control hiccups. When something triggers these nerves - eating too quickly, for example - a signal is sent to the phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm. The diaphragm signals back to the hiccup center and hiccups begin. Within a split second, a structure called the glottis closes off the windpipe, producing the characteristic sound of a hiccup.

Description of Hiccups
Hiccups, or hiccoughs as some people call them, is a mystery ailment with no known purpose. In general, they almost always pass within minutes. In rare cases, they last for a few days.

Usually, hiccuping is an entirely benign, if annoying, phenomenon. Any number of mundane circumstances can set off a bout in susceptible people. Perhaps the most common trigger is swallowing air, usually from eating too fast, chewing gum, or drinking carbonated beverages.

Some people hiccup in response to alcohol or spicy foods and drinks. Stress and excitement also are possible instigators.

Treatment of Hiccups
Everyone has a pet remedy for hiccups. A few tactics do make sense and may be based on physiology as well as folklore. One technique is to increase carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which may decrease the sensitivity of the vagus nerve in the brain. That nerve, one of the longest in the body, sends branches to many muscle groups, including those in the diaphragm. One can boost carbon dioxide levels by holding one's breath, by rebreathing the air exhaled into a paper bag for a few minutes, or by slowly sipping a glass of water without pausing to take a breath.

Other tactics that may be of some use include:

• placing a teaspoon of dry granulated sugar on the back of the tongue and then swallowing it
   

•  filling a glass with ice cubes and water, and then drinking it slowly (the rapid change of temperature in the esophagus may shut down the hiccup response)
   

• pulling the tongue with your fingers
   

• stimulating the back of the throat or roof of the mouth with the index finger
   

• while sitting, leaning forward and compressing the chest and diaphragm against the knees