Do all mammals hiccup?

Make every day more interesting. Each day a surprising fact opens a world of fascinating information for you to explore. Did you know that….? ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

HOME    FACTS    ARTICLES

Original photo by bangoland/ Shutterstock The longest case of hiccups was 68 years. No one likes hiccups. Luckily, these involuntary spasmodic interruptions usually last only a few minutes. On rare occasions, hiccups persist for a few days, and even more rarely still they persist for longer than a month (in which case they can be considered "intractable"). Then there's the strange case of Charles Osborne, who was afflicted with a continuous case of hiccups for 68 years — recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest case of hiccups in history. Osborne's story began with an accident on June 13, 1922, in which he accidentally slipped and fell. His doctor later said he popped a blood vessel in his brain the size of a pin, and theorized that Osborne must have damaged the incredibly small area of the brain that controls and inhibits hiccups.  Osborne's diaphragm spasmed 20 to 40 times a minute, on average, during his waking hours — meaning he hiccuped roughly 430 million times throughout his life. To cope with this never-before-seen disorder, Osborne learned breathing techniques that effectively masked his constant hiccuping. Later in life, Osborne appeared in magazines and on late-night television shows to talk about his ailment. In 1978, Osborne told the Associated Press that he'd "give everything I got in the world if I could get rid of them." Although he traveled the world in search of a cure — even offering $10,000 to anyone who could find one — the best he could do was cope with the affliction. Finally, in 1990, his diaphragm suddenly ended its 68-year-long spasmodic episode on its own. Sadly, Osborne died less than a year later, but he was at least able to experience the final days of his life sans hiccups. Nearly all mammals hiccup. Nearly all mammals hiccup.

The medical term for hiccups is "__," from the Latin for "to catch one's breath when crying." The medical term for hiccups is "__," from the Latin for "to catch one's breath when crying." Numbers Don't Lie Year the modern spelling of "hiccup" was first recorded (the word itself appeared around the 1570s) 1788 Estimated number of hospital admissions for hiccups every year in the U.S. 4,000 Days of continuous hiccups after which a case is considered "persistent" 2 Earliest (in weeks) that doctors have detected hiccups in human fetuses 8 Scientists aren't exactly sure why we hiccup. For something so ubiquitous, it's surprising that we still can't explain why hiccups exist. Scientists note that they do exist for a reason, because a hiccup is not simply a twitch of the muscles, but a complex motor act designed to do… something. Although we still don't know for sure what that "something" is, scientists have a few ideas. One of the most astounding hypotheses is that hiccups are a genetic holdover from way back — like "when we had gills" way back. Some scientists have argued that hiccuping could be an evolutionary leftover from when we had a need for gill ventilation. Other ideas suggest that hiccups are a way that infants learn how to regulate their breathing (which for some reason persists into adulthood). This seems to support other evidence that humans tend to hiccup less as they age. Other theories suggest that hiccups could be a method for clearing food stuck in the esophagus. For now, the humble hiccup remains a perplexing biological mystery. You might also like 6 Satisfying Facts About Soda Whether it's sold in a bottle, can, or poured straight from the fountain, there are few drinks more refreshing than soda. Here are six fizzy facts about the bubbly beverage.

Make Every Day More Interesting. Email Preferences     Unsubscribe     Privacy Policy     Terms of Use Make Every Day More Interesting. Email Preferences     Unsubscribe Privacy Policy     Terms of Use Advertisements: Powered by AdChoices We love to collaborate. To learn more about our sponsorship opportunities, please connect with us here. 1550 Larimer Street, Suite 431, Denver, CO 80202