A Wonderleaf question
Why do we get hiccups?
a real page from the book
Hiccups happen when the diaphragm, the big breathing muscle below the lungs, suddenly spasms. That quick tug pulls air inward, and the glottis at the top of the airway closes fast. Air meets the closed flap, making the small hic sound and the body jolt.
Fast eating, fizzy drinks, laughing hard, or swallowed air can irritate the nerves that guide breathing. Some home tricks work only if they interrupt the rhythm: holding breath changes carbon dioxide, sipping water nudges the vagus nerve, and the spasm often quits by itself.
Wonder words
- diaphragm
- glottis
- spasm
- nerve
Try it out
After a hiccup, breathe in slowly, hold for a few counts, then notice whether the next hiccup waits longer.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
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