*promote

Self promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued Thursday, April 30th, 2015 6:26am PDT - promote requested by original submitter Grimm.

Most people don't really understand hiccups.
I learned that it's actually an evolutionary throwback to when we were all newts, gulping air when we're in the water. I'm still not sure what triggers them in mammals.

This may be the most adorable puppy I've ever seen! *kids

Adding video to channels (Kids) - requested by PlayhousePals.

Apparently Doctors don't understand them much either. My son ounce suffered through an attack that lasted about 48 hours. At the end of the first 24 hours, he was experiencing enough pain that we took him to the ER. Their response was that while they understand physically what is happening when we have hiccups..they don't really understand what causes them or how to stop them. I was like WTF year is this?

I   puppy, said James staring out over the endless void. He didn't notice the hiccups but something was stirring in the dark recesses of memory despite the void of all eternity and what it knew while lurking in his soul.

He was still able to register the faint recollection that puppies provide stimulus. Whether or not it was positive or negative is a matter of debate, for he had been drained of all human emotion. I   puppy. Like? I like puppy? No, too much heart, too much optimism. All actions void. Language meaningless. I ALT255 puppy.

Hiccups are muscle spasms in your diaphragm. They're triggered by coughing, laughing, swallowing air, extreme emotions, and drinking fizzy drinks. Amongst other things.

They are more than just random spasms, though. Note you never hiccup when breathing OUT.
...and that does NOTHING to explain WHY they happen, just what some of the triggers may be! :-)

You didn't ask WHY they happen, you asked what the triggers are. And I do hiccup when breathing out.

OK, granted. I did word that poorly, and you did address what I wrote.
What I meant was I have not seen a full explanation of the mechanism that is triggered by various (and seemingly sometimes by no) triggers...I have read that it's related to the air gulping that newts and salamanders do when in water, perhaps when transitioning from using gills to lungs, and I think they even said the signal comes from an odd part of the brain for breathing signals, but not why we might still hold on to that trait, or why various things might trigger that trait in mammals who aren't amphibious.
If I had to guess, I would guess it's some sort of anti-drowning trait that stops babies from inhaling too much water, but that's just a guess. I wonder if anyone has done a study/experiment.

That's odd. I keep thinking about having hiccups, and I can't recall a single time I hiccupped while breathing out. Maybe I'm weird. (OK, no maybe about it).