The Battle Between Burps and Hiccups

hic! hic! hic! Sound familiar? As annoying as they are, hiccups are extremely common, but having them for super long periods can indicate more serious conditions. Although those two points also apply to burps, hiccups and burps are not the same. In this article, we witness the great battle between the anomalies: burps vs. hiccups.

Before we get started, let me give you a little background. Your diaphragm is the muscle that is sandwiched between your lungs and your stomach. When you take a breath, your diaphragm contracts; when you let the breath out, your diaphragm relaxes. This breathing process is the natural way to breathe, but unfortunately, not many people practice deep breathing, which can lead to lower levels of stress and other health benefits. Taking deeper breaths allows more air to enter your body and supply your cells with more oxygen.

Now that you know what a diaphragm is, you will be able to understand what a hiccup is. A hiccup is the result of something bothering the diaphragm. Your diaphragm will contract suddenly, forcing air into your throat. The air sucked in will then collide with your voice box to form a strange noise: hic!

Fun Fact: Your voice box, also called the larynx, is composed of two strips of smooth muscle tissue—your vocal cords!

There are different factors that can initiate this hiccup scenario. Most of them are physical, such as eating too fast, drinking soda or alcohol, taking in air while eating, or an abrupt temperature shift. Since it is the nerve that connects the brain and the diaphragm that is irritated, some other factors are emotional, including experiencing stress, nervousness, or excitement. This may sound like a serious problem, but there is no need to worry; hiccups that last less than two days are not serious at all!

Although none of them are scientifically proven, there is a myriad of strategies to stop hiccups since they can be quite annoying after a while. A well-known tactic is to hold your breath for some time—usually about twenty seconds is sufficient. Some people like to drink a glass of water quickly while others like to drink it slowly. Personally, I use the breathing technique; despite some sounding bizarre, different methods work for different people.

The word hiccup has another meaning as well. According to Merriam-Webster, a hiccup is also defined as “a slight irregularity, error, or malfunction” or “a usually minor short-lived interruption or disruption, or change.” If you were participating in a virtual meeting and the internet was having connection issues, your meeting may experience some hiccups: maybe someone is unable to join or someone’s audio doesn’t function.

Fun Fact: The main character in Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon series is named “Hiccup” because he was considered the runt of his village.

A burp, on the other hand, is not caused by spasms of the diaphragm. Instead, burps come from air in your stomach. Your stomach is full of acid, bacteria, and enzymes that digest the food that you eat. If there is air in your stomach, it will rise up through your throat and out of your mouth. There are several ways you can easily swallow air: eating too fast, sucking on food like hard candies, chewing gum, smoking, or wearing poorly-fitted dentures.

Besides avoiding gum, hard candy, smoking, and poorly-fitted dentures, there are a few other techniques to reduce burping. Our lives are often in a rush, which results in us eating too quickly and accidentally sucking in air. It is actually more beneficial to eat at a reasonable pace and be mindful and present while eating rather than worrying about work or something else because it is important for your mental health to practice mindfulness and be present in the moment. It is also helpful to take a walk after each meal, as exercise can aid in digestion.

If you want to lessen your burping, you may want to cut down on alcohol and carbonated drinks. Sodas and other carbonated drinks have air inside the liquid, and that air goes down your throat and into your stomach with the liquid. Some alcoholic drinks like beer also contain bubbles and bring air into your stomach when you drink them.

And the winner is…well, there is no winner. Burps and hiccups didn’t battle for anything—we were simply establishing the difference between the two! I hope you learned something new! Keep a lookout for the next post!