When we have had enough to drink and eat, we usually burp when we are not careful, and this is normal. However, when there are long-term hiccups, you should pay attention to physical illness. This is the case of Uncle Lin, who had hiccups for a month and the test results showed that he had liver problems. Hiccups, also known as hiccups, are a muscular reflex action that is triggered by touching the diaphragm’s diaphragmatic nerve in the abdomen. Like other organs in the body, the diaphragm has a nerve distribution and blood supply. The phrenic nerve consists of afferent and efferent nerve fibers, and when the stimulus that causes hiccups is transmitted to the brain, the brain issues instructions to cause the diaphragm to contract spasmodically and paroxysmally, causing the air to be sucked rapidly into the lungs while the epiglottis closes and the sound gate narrows abruptly, resulting in a “hiccup” sound when air flows through it. There are two main causes of hiccups, one is direct stimulation of the diaphragm, and the other is stimulation of the phrenic nerve, which leads to frequent involuntary contractions of the diaphragm. Temporary hiccups can also occur in daily life if the stomach is cold or if dry, hard, spicy food is consumed. Hiccups are mostly caused by distension of the stomach, so people often experience hiccups because they are in a hurry to eat or swallow more air when they talk during meals. Until now, hiccups have not been treated as a possible precursor to cancer. However, in a study of 99 patients with esophageal cancer, 27% said they had experienced continuous hiccups; another 6% said the phenomenon prompted them to see a doctor. General physiological hiccups can be stopped by drinking a sip of water, holding it in the mouth, taking a deep breath and swallowing it as soon as you feel close to hiccuping, and a few more sips will usually stop the hiccups. Zheng Song reminded that the elderly should pay attention if they have continuous hiccups that are not relieved for a long time and are accompanied by abdominal pain, poor appetite, difficulty swallowing, weakness, weight loss and other abnormal manifestations.