Dear Doctor: My husband frequently has hiccups, and sometimes they last for days. What causes them? Is there any way to make them stop?
Dear Reader: Hiccups are due to a sudden and involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. That’s the dome-shaped structure that separates the thoracic cavity, also known as the chest cavity, from the abdominal cavity. The diaphragm, which is made up of muscle and memb…