There appears to be no purpose for hiccoughs. They could just be a design flaw.
Their rate varies considerably, and can occur anywhere between 4-60 times per minute.
Hiccups are more like to occur in the evening.
If hiccups last longer than two days, they are termed “persistent.” Hiccups lasting more than one month are known as “intractable.”
When it comes to everyday hiccups, the affect each both genders equally. However 80%of persistent and intractable hiccups occur in males.
Hiccups affect people of all ages and even babies in the womb!
However, hiccups occur less frequently as we get older.
Charles Osborne, from Iowa in the USA, hiccupped continuously (every one-and-a-half seconds) for 68 years and was awarded a Guinness World Record for the longest attack.
A study published in the American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine tells us that almost 40 per cent of patients with cancer will develop hiccups, and for 10% of them the hiccups will last for up to 2 days.
“Hiccup” in other languages:
French – hoquet
German – schluckauf
Irish – snag
Italian – singhiozzo
Scottish – aileag
Spanish – hipo
English – hiccoughs (the original, non-American spelling)