Hiccups are caused by involuntary contractions of your diaphragm — the muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen and plays an important role in breathing. This involuntary contraction causes your vocal cords to close very briefly, which produces the characteristic sound of a hiccup.

Often, there may be no obvious cause for hiccups. But possible causes include:

Irritation to the nerves that control normal contractions of the diaphragm — such as due to eating hot or spicy foods or drinking carbonated liquids.
Eating a large meal. Hiccups are more likely to occur when your stomach is full.
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
Smoking
Sudden excitement or emotional stress

HICCUPS Home remedies

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i. Take a spoonful of sugar and keep under your tongue until the sugar melts.

ii. Suck two to three pieces of ginger. This helps stop hiccups from recurring.

iii. Hold your breath for 30 seconds. If the hiccups do not stop, repeat the procedure two more times.

iv. Take a glass of water and gulp it down non-stop.

v. Boil tsp of cardamom in 1 cup of water and sip like tea.

vi.Gently massaging the back of the roof of your mouth with a cotton swab for a minute or so

HICCUPS Prevention

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If your hiccups last longer than 48 hours, consult your doctor. In some cases of prolonged hiccups, prescription medications may help.

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