Hiccups are sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and plays a key role in breathing. These contractions cause the vocal cords to close ...

Xiaocen Zhang, MD, is double-board certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine. She is a gastroenterologist at the Tufts Medical Center and an assistant professor at the Tufts University ...