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You’re in the middle of a meeting, a phone call or a quiet room, and it starts: hic. Hiccups are almost always harmless, but they’re oddly hard to stop on purpose. Here’s what is actually going on.
What a hiccup is
Your diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that sits under your lungs. Every time you breathe in, it tightens and pulls down, drawing air into your chest.
A hiccup happens when the diaphragm tightens suddenly, without you meaning it to: a small spasm. Air rushes in, and a split second later your vocal cords snap shut to stop it. That sudden closing is what makes the familiar “hic” sound.
Doctors call hiccups singultus, from a Latin word for catching your breath while sobbing. The spasm is a reflex, controlled by nerves running between the brain and the diaphragm, which is why you can’t simply decide to stop.
What sets them off
Very often, there’s no clear reason at all. But some things seem to trigger hiccups in many people:
- Eating or drinking too quickly, or eating a large meal
- Fizzy drinks and alcohol
- Spicy food
- Swallowing air, for example when chewing gum or smoking
- Something very cold straight after something hot, or the other way round
- Stress or strong emotions, such as excitement
A common theory is that a stretched stomach, or a sudden change in temperature, irritates the nerves that control the diaphragm, setting off the reflex.
Hiccups are a reflex, which is why you can’t simply decide to stop them, and why so many “cures” are about distracting or resetting your breathing.
Remedies worth trying
The UK’s National Health Service lists several things you can try, while noting there’s no evidence that they work for everyone:
- Sip ice-cold water slowly.
- Hold your breath for a short time.
- Breathe into a paper bag (never a plastic bag, and never over your head).
- Pull your knees up to your chest and lean forward.
- Swallow a little granulated sugar.
- Bite into a lemon or taste a little vinegar.
Nobody knows for certain why some of these help. One idea is that holding your breath or breathing into a bag raises the level of carbon dioxide in your blood, which may calm the spasm. Another is that swallowing, cold and strong tastes stimulate the nerves involved and interrupt the reflex. Either way, the hiccups often stop on their own while you’re trying.
It also helps to avoid the usual triggers for a while: skip fizzy and alcoholic drinks, eat slowly, and leave the spicy food for later.
Hiccups in babies
Babies hiccup a lot, often after feeds. It rarely bothers them and usually needs no treatment. If you’re worried, for example because your baby seems distressed or isn’t feeding well, speak to a health visitor, midwife or doctor.
When hiccups need a doctor
Most bouts of hiccups last a few minutes. Hiccups that go on for more than 48 hours are called persistent hiccups. In rare cases, they’re caused by a medical condition or by a medicine you’re taking.
The NHS advises seeing a GP if:
- your hiccups last longer than 48 hours, or
- they keep coming back and affect your daily life.
A doctor will look for an underlying cause. Treating that condition, or changing a medicine, usually stops the hiccups. If no cause is found, a doctor may prescribe medicine, although it doesn’t work for everyone.
Frequently asked questions
Can a sudden scare cure hiccups?
It’s one of the oldest tricks, and it may work sometimes by jolting your breathing. But there’s no good evidence for it, and a calmer remedy, like sipping cold water, is just as likely to help.
Why do I get hiccups when I drink alcohol?
Alcohol, especially fizzy drinks such as beer or sparkling wine, can stretch the stomach and irritate the area around the diaphragm. Drinking quickly makes it more likely.
Are hiccups ever dangerous?
Ordinary hiccups are harmless. Only hiccups that last for days, or that make it hard to eat, sleep or breathe, need medical attention, mainly to find the cause.
