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Do hiccups serve any actual useful biological function? (self.asklemmy)

submitted 11 months ago by over_clox to c/asklemmy

49 comments fedilink hide all child comments

It's known that sneezing is a reflex to prevent dust or nose hairs or whatever from getting down into the lungs, but why do people and animals sometimes get hiccups? What function does that serve, and what causes them?

Also, bonus points for any random useful tips on how to make hiccups go away...

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[–] over_clox 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Damn, I remember hearing about that case as well, that would have to be an absolute nightmare!

[–] spittingimage 2 points 11 months ago

I read an explanation for that, which was that hiccupping is the default mode for the muscles involved, and there's a part of the brain that suppresses it. The 30-year hiccupper had damage to that part of the brain, so they started and never stopped.