Well Emelia, that is a fine and respectable question and I am glad you asked. That said, I have never heard of the hiccup being contagious. I have likewise never witnessed another hiccupping and felt the urge to join in with my own hiccupping cavalcade. I have seen others yawn and leapt right in with my own open-mouthed summons of sleep and watched companions scratch at an itch in the middle of their back and gone of in search of a tree on which to rub the unreachable area between my shoulder blades. A good giggle and sometimes outright sobbing have also proven to be provoked by the similar actions of others.
The hiccup has always been the lone-wolf of the bodily exhalations, put into motion by the unpredictable actions of the diaphragm.
This from the World-Wide Web:
Food can be a major cause of spasms in the diaphragm. Some people experience hiccupping fits when they eat too much, as the food presses down on the digestive muscles. Spicy, hot, or cold foods may also irritate the phrenic nerve and cause problems for some people.
Swallowing air seems to cause hiccups in some cases. Eating or drinking too quickly can cause spasms, because swallowed air can exert sudden pressure in the abdomen. Certain foods with large pockets of air, such as sourdough bread, can also cause the diaphragm to contract. Drinking alcoholic, carbonated, or cold beverages is sometimes linked to a greater chance of hiccupping episodes.
At no time does it appear that the hiccup is triggered by the hiccup of another. If yours are proven to be thusly provoked, it is suggested that you give up not only spicy foods, sourdough breads and alcoholic beverages, but also the companionship of those who make you hiccup. They are most likely thoughtless and likely to betray you in the future, with subsequent dire consequences.
Good day, Sir.
Thank you, sir. We appreciate your attention to detail and the fact that you touch on Emelia's actual question, which the mother screwed up in haste. She really wants to know why yawns are contagious...but has no interest in back itching. She's still young.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and thank you for another source of great amusement. love, Emelia's mother.
I am a teacher in a small school situation,. Sitting at a table with three of my students, three out of four of us ended up with the hiccups within a minute or so,. The one who didn't get the hiccups was sitting across from us. This is not the first time. I am wondering if there was something in the air or breath that we all caught?
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