Who is the man whose hiccup did not go away for 68 years?

Next time you're struggling with this involuntary diaphragmatic flutter, think of a man named Charles Osborne, who hiccuped for 68 years. (Who knows? Maybe it will go away when you get scared).

Charles Osborne began hiccuping while working on a farm in Nebraska on June 13, 1922. And his hiccups didn't stop until 1990...

Speaking to People magazine when he was 94, Osborne described that day: “I was carrying a heavy pig. I picked him up and then fell to the ground. "I didn't feel anything at that moment, but later the doctor said I had brain damage."

Charles Osborne hiccupped from 13 June 1922 to 5 June 1990

But despite this, he lived a surprisingly normal life. He was married twice and fathered eight children. This strange malady even brought him a small amount of fame: He appeared on a very popular radio show, gave a statement to the press, entered the Guinness Book of Records, and was recorded as the 'person with the longest hiccup attack'.

We will return to Osborne's story later, now let's open a parenthesis here...

So what is a hiccup? Why do we hiccup? Can we stop hiccups?

Hiccup is thought to be related to a neural nerve called the 'reflex arc'. To put it more simply, it is caused by sudden and involuntary contraction of the diaphragm muscle. The opening between the vocal cords and the glottis (larynx) suddenly closes, producing the well-known 'hicken' sound.

Situations such as drinking too much alcohol, eating too much food, very spicy foods or swallowing air while chewing food, some medications, or even getting excited and laughing can trigger these contractions and cause hiccups.

We may hiccup just once, but it usually occurs at regular intervals and in a cycle ranging from four to 60 times per minute. So does it have a function? Why do we hiccup? Although it is not known for certain, the fact that we hiccup even while in the womb suggests that this prepares our muscles for breathing.

The medical name for this phenomenon is 'singultus', derived from the Latin term singult, which roughly means trying to breathe while crying.

There are some common tactics to stop a 'singultus attack': drinking cold water, gargling, breathing into a paper bag, holding the breath, and even hypnosis or acupuncture. There is no evidence that any of these are effective or safe. Having someone scare you or tickle you may distract you, but it probably won't stop your hiccups.

Ordinary cases of hiccups usually go away after a short time without intervention, but hiccups that last longer should be taken seriously.

Chronic hiccup is the term used for persistent attacks (lasting more than 48 hours) and can cause fatigue and weight loss. Chronic hiccups may also be caused by a serious underlying cause. These causes may include central nervous system disorders, diabetes, surgery, reflux, stroke, or cancer.

Osborne wasn't so lucky...

Although he went to many doctors, no cure could be found for his hiccups. He once went hiccup-free for 36 hours during an experimental hormone treatment, but due to other health problems, the treatment was discontinued and the hiccups returned.

Trying to put an end to the situation, he recalls, a friend fired his shotgun right behind him. “That scared me a little bit,” says Osborne. “But it didn't work.”

Still, he lived his life joyfully and learned breathing techniques to minimize the sound of sobbing. Over the years, he has received nearly 4,000 letters with advice for getting rid of hiccups.

In February 1990, Osborne's sobs suddenly stopped for an unknown reason. After a wonderfully hiccup-free year, he passed away in May 1991, aged 97.

It is estimated that he hiccups 430 million times throughout his life.

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The Curious Case of Charles Osborne, Who Hiccupped for 68 Years Straight

A 1922 accident sparked the Iowa man’s intractable hiccups, which suddenly subsided in 1990

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-curious-case-of-charles-osborne-who-hiccuped-for-68-years-straight-180980232/