what causes hiccoughs ?
472969
This article has some good info:\n\n"Hic!" You've just hiccuped for what seems like the tenth time since you finished your big dinner. Wonder where these funny noises are coming from? The part to blame is your diaphragm (say: die-uh-fram). This is a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of your chest, and all hiccups start here.\n\nThe diaphragm almost always works perfectly. When you inhale, it pulls down to help pull air into the lungs. When you exhale, it pushes up to help push air out of the lungs. But sometimes the diaphragm becomes irritated. When this happens, it pulls down in a jerky way, which makes you suck air into your throat suddenly. When the air rushing in hits your voice box, you're left with a big hiccup.\n\nSome things that irritate the diaphragm are eating too quickly or too much, an irritation in the stomach or the throat, or feeling nervous or excited. Almost all cases of the hiccups last only a few minutes. Some cases of the hiccups can last for days or weeks, but this is very unusual, and it's usually a sign of another medical problem.\n\nYou've probably heard lots of suggestions for how to get rid of hiccups, and maybe you've even tried a few. Holding your breath and counting to 10 is one way some people can get rid of their hiccups. Other people say that drinking from the "wrong" side of a glass of water is the way to become hiccup-free.\n\nPutting sugar under your tongue might work, too. And maybe the most famous treatment - having someone jump out and scare you when you're not expecting it - helps some people wave good-bye to their hiccups. Boo!
614650
Hiccups are caused by spasm in the diaphragm, a muscle that lies under your lungs, basically it's a 'nervous twitch' in the diaphragm. If you can force the diaphragm to contract through one or two spasms it will 'reset' itself and the twitch will vanish.\n\nWhen you hold your breath you contract the diaphragm, and when you drink you hold your breath. So by taking along drink you are forcing yourself to hold your breath and  hopefully removing the twitch.\n\n\nA better cure is simply to hold your nose and close your mouth while 'breathing' out slightly for 30 seconds. Like you do to reset popped ears, but keep it up for at least 30 seconds.\n\nSame principle but it works far better than drinking water.
370352
Hiccups are caused by the diaphragm spasming.  Try holding your breath or forcing air down to help stop the spasm
198600
Hiccups can be central or peripheral. Central hiccups (like those caused in chronic renal failure, or damage to brainstem) can be intractable and persistent.
1038643
Breathing CO2(carbondioxide) eases hiccups. Breathing in a closed environment (like a paper bag) increase CO2 intake, thereby helping ease hiccups. Holding breath does the same.
551429
Swallowing a lot of air causes hiccups though I don't know why exactly. Surefire way to get rid of them: Hold your breath and take a few sips of water as you hold it. Wait about twenty seconds or so. This has never failed me.
824573
urination...busted blood vessels in the eye..cracked ribs.  I myself had my hymen break when I sneezed.  You're right crazy things happen.
328406
is an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm; typically this repeats several times a minute. The sudden rush of air into the lungs causes the glottis to close, creating the "hic" noise.  Try eating slower and chew your food thoroughly.
74957
Drink a lot of water that's what causes this!!
454186
A hiccup or hiccough (generally pronounced "HICK-up" (IPA: /ˈhɪ.kəp/) independent of the spelling) is an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm; typically this repeats several times a minute. The sudden rush of air into the lungs 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, and medication is occasionally necessary. By extension, the term "hiccup" is also used to describe a small and unrepeated aberration in an otherwise consistent pattern. The medical term is singultus.\n\n-Sudden shock or alarm. The resulting adrenaline rush will usually cure hiccups; a common cure is to suddenly startle or shout at the sufferer - this only works if they have no idea it's coming. \n-In babies, hiccups are usually immediately stopped by the suckling reflex, either by breastfeeding or simply by insertion of a finger, bottle teat or dummy into the baby's mouth. \n-For some, throwing up or vomiting the contents in one's stomach. \nA few people have the ability to stop hiccupping by simply choosing to do so. This brings forward interesting implications regarding voluntary control of various body functions.\n\nReferred to as singultus, hiccups are treated medically only in severe and persistent (termed "intractable") cases. Haloperidol (Haldol, an anti-psychotic and sedative), metoclopramide (Reglan, a GI stimulant), and chlorpromazine (Thorazine, an anti-psychotic with strong sedative effects) are used in cases of intractable hiccups. In severe or resistant cases, baclofen (an anti-spasmodic) is sometimes required to suppress hiccups. Effective treatment with sedatives often requires a dose that either renders the person unconscious or highly lethargic. Hence, medicating singultus is done short-term and is not a situation where the affected individual could continue with normal work and school activities while taking the medication.\n\nThe New York Times reports that Dr. Bryan R. Payne, a neurosurgeon at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, has had some success with an experimental new procedure in which a vagus nerve stimulator is implanted in the upper chest of patients with an intractable case of hiccups. "It sends rhythmic bursts of electricity to the brain by way of the vagus nerve, which passes through the neck. The Food and Drug Administration approved the vagus nerve stimulator in 1997 as a way to control seizures in some patients with epilepsy. Last year, the agency endorsed the use of the stimulator as a treatment of last resort for people with severe depression"
201073
Hiccups are sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. As the muscle contracts repeatedly, the opening between your vocal cords snaps shut to check the inflow of air and makes the hiccup sound. ... Irritation of the nerves that extend from the neck to the chest can cause hiccups ...Try these methods at home:\n\nHold your breath. \nDrink a glass of water quickly. \nBecome frightened. \nUse smelling salts. \nPull hard on your tongue. \nPlace one-half teaspoon of dry sugar on the back of your tongue. (You can repeat this process 3 times at 2-minute intervals. Use corn syrup, not sugar, in young children.) The reason that these remedies are thought to work is that carbon dioxide build-up in the blood will stop hiccups, which is what happens when you hold your breath.
1112500
your brain gets enough oxygen, from after it was deprived of it. thats what causses hiccups.. oxygen deprivation.
410566
hiccups are an involantary muscle spasm of the diaphram.  usually occurs when you are dehydrated and are eating or immediatly following a meal. your body needs fluid in your esophugas to move food to your stomach through peristalsis
640605
hiccups are caused by your diaphram (the muscle seperating your chest area and  your lower abdomen) spasming... Usually it spasms due to irregular breathing.  So no holding your breath really doesn't work if it does for some people it shouldn't and is probably in their head.  However breathing evenly and calmly should calm it down and make them stop.
968967
Are you taking drugs or drinking heavily.  That could cause it.\n\nCoach
132256
ACTUALLLY, HICCUPS ARE CAUSED BY A SPASM OF YOUR DIAPHRAM. I HAVE NOTICED BEFORE THAT AFTER I DRINK A COKE THAT HICCUPS MAY START BECAUSE OF THE CARBONATION IN THE COKE, SO IT MAY BE A COINCEDENCE.
65282
"Hic!" You've just hiccuped for what seems like the tenth time since you finished your big dinner. Wonder where these funny noises are coming from? The part to blame is your diaphragm (say: die-uh-fram). This is a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of your chest, and all hiccups start here.\n\nThe diaphragm almost always works perfectly. It pulls down when you inhale to help pull air into the lungs, and it pushes up when you exhale to help push air out of the lungs. But sometimes the diaphragm becomes irritated, and when this happens, it pushes up in a jerky way that makes your breath come out differently from how it normally does. When this irregular breath hits your voice box, you're left with a big hiccup.\n\nSome things that irritate the diaphragm are eating too quickly or too much, an irritation in the stomach or the throat, or feeling nervous or excited. Almost all cases of the hiccups last only a few minutes. Some cases of the hiccups can last for days or weeks, but this is very unusual, and it's usually a sign of another medical problem.\n\nYou've probably heard lots of suggestions for how to get rid of hiccups, and maybe you've even tried a few. Holding your breath and counting to 10 is one way some people can get rid of their hiccups; other people say that drinking from the "wrong" side of a glass of water is the way to become hiccup-free. Putting sugar under your tongue might work, too. And maybe the most famous treatment - having someone jump out and scare you when you're not expecting it - helps some people wave good-bye to their hiccups.