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

When did we stop spelling it hiccough, though?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 11 months ago

Hiccough is a mistaken newer spelling based on the association with coughing, hiccup is the original.

[–] over_clox 9 points 11 months ago

When did we ever start?

That sounds like a combo reflex if you ask me, which actually does happen to me around 20 minutes after I take a vitamin B12 pill. I'll get like all the reflexes all at once, sneeze, hiccups, coughing, urge to vomit, all at once. All from a vitamin B12 pill. Never again!