9 Astonishing Facts About Hiccups That Will Surprise And Inform You

Average Hiccup Frequency

Hiccup frequency is measured in the units hiccups per minute. According to the United States National Library of Medicine, a normal hiccup frequency can be anywhere from four to sixty hiccups per minute. This means some people hiccup once every single second when they have an episode. Experts claim that each person has a different hiccup pattern, which remains constant over time. For example, if a person hiccups for twenty minutes at a rate of ten hiccups per minute, he or she will display this pattern during every case of the hiccups. In general, adult women have higher hiccup frequencies than adult men do, and hiccup frequency tends to decline with age. Even though it may seem this way, hiccup frequency is not random.

Different Names For Hiccups

Hiccups are also known as diaphragmatic spasms and singultus. A diaphragmatic spasm is the medical term for hiccups and accurately describes what happens in the body during an episode. 'Singultus' is a Latin term that loosely translates into 'the act of catching one’s breath while sobbing.' This term can be linked to the sound made by hiccups, which is how they got their name in the first place. Throughout history, hiccups have been called a variety of other names, including 'hickot,' 'hiccough,' and yox.'