~Did You Know?!~

DID YOU KNOW? !!: week of September 22- 26

Have you ever been in the middle of a presentation in front of the whole class when all of the sudden you go to say something and all that comes out is an annoying hiccup that makes your whole body jump? To make things worse you get a drink of water and try to make them go away, but they just keep bouncing in your chest, driving you crazy. Where did they even come from in the first place?

Well, this is the story. Hiccups happen when the diaphragm, the muscle that controls our breathing, becomes irritated and starts to spasm and contract uncontrollably. With each contraction, air is pulled into the lungs very quickly, passes through the voice box, and then the epiglottis closes behind the rush of air, shaking the vocal chords, causing the "hic" sound. The hiccups can be caused by rapid eating, emotional stress and even some diseases.

What’s the best quick cure? Breathing into a paper bag. This calms the diaphragm by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in your bloodstream. Other ways to get rid of them: Take ten big gulps of water with no breaths in between, eat a teaspoon of sugar, or hold your breath! Then finish that tough presentation!