Do hiccups serve any actual useful biological function? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by over_clox@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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It's known that sneezing is a reflex to prevent dust or nose hairs or whatever from getting down into the lungs, but why do people and animals sometimes get hiccups? What function does that serve, and what causes them?

Also, bonus points for any random useful tips on how to make hiccups go away...

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[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

When did we ever start?

That sounds like a combo reflex if you ask me, which actually does happen to me around 20 minutes after I take a vitamin B12 pill. I'll get like all the reflexes all at once, sneeze, hiccups, coughing, urge to vomit, all at once. All from a vitamin B12 pill. Never again!

this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2023

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