The hiccups can be annoying when they last more than a few minutes. Imagine having them for 68 years. As reported by Science Alert, that was exactly the case for Charles Osborne, a man who started to hiccup in 1922 and did not stop until 1990.
One June day, Osborne was weighing a hog about to go out for slaughter on a Nebraska farm. It was then that he inexplicably began to hiccup, and he did not stop for decades. Osborne sought medical attention several times, but no cause for his condition was ever found.
No one could figure out why Charles Osborne hiccuped for 68 years, living without hiccups for only one year once they started.
Charles Osborne uttered his final hiccup one February morning in 1990 at the age of 96. He enjoyed one year free of his affliction before he passed away in May of 1991. Though he lived a majority of his life with the annoying respiratory contractions, Osborne took it better than the Springfield man who had been hiccupping for 45 years on The Simpsons.
Osborne managed to lead a relatively normal life; he had two marriages and was father to eight children. He reportedly took his affliction in stride, living life with a generally positive attitude and using breathing techniques to minimize the sound of each hiccup. By the time his spell finally ended, he had hiccuped an estimated 430 million times.
No one ever knew why Charles Osborne’s hiccups began, persisted, or suddenly ceased. Thankfully, his case is the exception. Medical professionals still don’t have all the answers regarding the mysterious hiccup, but the topic has been illuminated since 1922.
Hiccups occur as a result of an involuntary contraction of respiratory muscles. The glottis, which is an opening between the vocal cords, snaps shut, causing the “hic” sound. Scientists believe hiccups start with a reflex arc, a neural pathway that controls a reflex.
Common catalysts for hiccups include eating too much, drinking alcohol, certain medications, and taking in too much air while eating. Even extreme instances of excitement or laughter can start the phenomenon.
The Medical Reason For Hiccups
What is less understood than why hiccups begin is how they end. Most people have probably heard about the home remedies: eat a spoonful of peanut butter, let some tickle you, chug a glass of water, watch a horror movie – there are a million of these, and none are proven to actually work. The neurologist-developed HiccAway, a special straw, has anecdotally been found to be effective, but more research is needed to prove it.
Hiccups usually resolve themselves within minutes and are no cause for concern. Chronic hiccups, however, are another story. If a hiccup spell lasts for more than 48 hours, it is best to seek immediate medical attention.
Hiccups usually resolve themselves within minutes and are no cause for concern. Chronic hiccups, however, are another story.
Long-lasting hiccups have been found to be a symptom of a host of serious conditions, including cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, strokes, or central nervous system disorders. Abnormalities in the stomach or esophagus can cause chronic hiccups, and these are often treatable. However, chronic hiccups are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and should be treated by a medical professional.
Charles Osborne’s case is so rare it landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records. This extraordinary record is not one to envy. Next time a hiccup spell comes and goes, give thanks your name isn’t competing with his.
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