A hiccup is an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm that typically repeats several times a minute. The sudden rush of air into the lungs that's created by each spasm causes the glottis to close, creating the "hic" noise. A bout of hiccups generally resolves by itself, although many home remedies are in circulation to shorten the duration. The medical term for hiccuping is singultus.

While many cases develop spontaneously, hiccups are known to develop often in specific situations, such as eating too quickly, taking a cold drink while eating a hot meal, eating very hot or spicy food, laughing vigorously or coughing, or drinking an excess of an alcoholic beverage. Hiccups may be caused by pressure to the phrenic nerve (located in the neck regi ...