Hiccups are often a nuisance and are very stubborn about going away. A hiccup is nothing more than spastic reaction of muscles convulsing caused by your diaphragm producing a "hic" sound. They are 99% of the time completely unharmful but on occasion can be painful and even in several cases, deadly.
The diaphragm retracts when you inhale to get air to the lungs and pushes up to expel CO2 from the lungs. On almost random occasion the diaphragm can become irritated by one of several things. One thing that can cause diaphragm irritation is either eating or drinking to fast or too much. Another of the events that causes this irritation is possibly being excited or nervous. On rare occasions skull fractures, epilepsy, and tuberculosis have been know to cause hiccups.
After the diaphragm gets irritated it pushes down in a spastic motion. This abnormal intake of air enters the windpipe and 35 milliseconds after this happens the opening at the top of the windpipe (the glottis) seals itself. Stopping the airflow in this manner produces the "hic" sound.
When a person contracts hiccups they occur between 4 and 60 times per minute until the irritation of the diaphragm stops. Research shows that hiccups happen either less than 4 times in an occurrence or more than 30 times per occurrence. Contracting the hiccups can occur at any age even while a baby is still in the uterus.
There is no common cure but house remedies. Some of which might include drinking from the wrong side of the cup, eating a spoon of mustard or sugar, and having someone frighten you. Though no common solution, many have found their own solution to the dilemma. .