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Do hiccups serve any actual useful biological function?
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this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2023
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Hiccups, I was always told, are when the gases in something release out of it during digestion, like how a hollow carcass in the sea dissolves releases all its bubbles, which if correct, means it's less a biological function and more a biological response, one that can be avoided by not eating anything hollow or that which contains a mixed chemical content capable of varying forms of interaction, hence the hiccups you might get after drinking certain beverages.
You never heard of burping? Come on. This is clearly bollocks.
Actually, usually when I get hiccups, I can also feel and hear fluids and gasses sloshing around somewhere inside me, and part of me absolutely wishes I could burp during those times.
Keep in mind, they say the human intestines are something like 27 feet long, and are packed in there as mostly a random mess of a 'knot', so to speak. So just because you happen to have gasses somewhere in your belly doesn't always mean the gas is immediately in a spot ready to go either way up or down.
Burping is for gas in your stomach and oesophagus, nothing to do with your intestines. How would hiccoughs help in any way with gases in the intestines?
I never said it helped in any way, as a matter of fact the experience is absolutely miserable and painful when it happens that way. Not like hiccupping is a voluntary reflex ya know, just saying that having trapped gasses in my belly tends to trigger it sometimes.
When that happens to me, the best thing I can do to try to help is to lay down, and occasionally roll over on my left and right sides, until the gas finally finds it's way out, usually via burping.
But yeah, these reflexes aren't exactly voluntary.
Anecdotally, I've noticed that I very consistently (as in, nearly 100% of the time) get hiccups while shaving, almost always whenever I get to the parts under my chin or the sides of my neck, with the severity getting worse the longer it takes me to do those areas. I'm kinda curious why that might happen, especially if hiccups have to do with food (I obviously don't eat anything while shaving). Every time I've asked someone about this when the topic of hiccups comes up somewhere, they've told me this doesn't happen to them and have never heard of it being a thing, so maybe I'm just weird that way? Kinda frustrating tbh as I've yet to find a way to prevent it.
Now that does sound rather unusual and annoying. I've never experienced or heard of that happening either, but I don't doubt you.
Have you tried testing between handheld razors vs motorized beard trimmers? Maybe one or the other might be less likely to cause you that.. 🤷♂️
I've always used electric shavers, as I greatly prefer not having to deal with constantly buying replacement blades for the more traditional kind. I've had my suspicions that maybe the vibration has something to do with it, but I've no idea how it would do so.
I hear you there about having to regularly purchase blades for the more modern razors, but have you considered trying a safety razor? I use one regularly, and not only are the blades super cheap, they'll also last you quite a long time if properly cleaned and dried off right after each use.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_razor
I've vaguely heard of them but not really looked into what makes them different from any other conventional razor. I might consider trying one I suppose.
Well, although the safety razor mechanism itself tends to cost quite a bit more than conventional modern razors, the blades for safety razors are far cheaper, last a lot longer, and are easy to clean and take care of.
Modern razor cartridges are more expensive, clog up with hair a lot faster, and are actually designed to be thrown away after just a use or two. That's where they're making their money these days, selling disposable cartridges.
On the other hand, I can get a pack of 5 double edge safety blades from Dollar Tree, and as long as I keep it clean and dry after each use, just one blade can last me a whole year or even more!
But anyways, that's been my experience with them anyways. I'll admit that I don't shave every day though, so here's a review video about safety razors...
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gb60XbJh6_U
I give myself hiccups if I cough too hard. It sucks. Also if I eat food that is too spicy, which sucks because I love spicy. Too bad lol I eat it anyways and just deal with the hiccups.
Why you bring a Reddit avatar out of the zoo?
Oh well, you do you, happy holidays!
It was my avatar for R*ddit for like nine years, it felt weird to not see it when using alternatives like Lemmy.
Edit: and to you as well.