Question
What causes hiccups, and I have a 3-year history of stomach pain. How were the past treatments and their effectiveness? I hope to get help to speculate on the cause and treatment methods.
Answer
Hiccups are a common physiological phenomenon, usually caused by the sudden and violent contraction of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is not a thin membrane that separates the chest and abdominal cavities but a large muscle. It contracts regularly under the control of the brain’s respiratory center, allowing our breathing to occur automatically. When hiccups occur, the diaphragm contracts involuntarily, causing air to be rapidly inhaled into the lungs, and the gap between the vocal cords suddenly narrows, producing a strange sound.