A hiccup is an unintentional movement (spasm) of the diaphragm, the muscle at the base of the lungs. The spasm is followed by quick closing of the vocal cords. This closing of vocal chords produces a distinctive sound.
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Hiccups often start for no apparent reason. They most often disappear after a few minutes. In rare cases, hiccups can last for days, weeks, or months. Hiccups are common and normal in newborns and infants.
Causes may include:
There is usually no specific cause for hiccups.
There is no sure way to stop hiccups, but there are a number of common suggestions that can be tried:
Contact your health care provider if hiccups go on for more than a few days.
If you need to see your provider for hiccups, you will have a physical exam and be asked questions about the problem.
Questions may include:
Additional tests are only done when a disease or disorder is suspected as the cause.
To treat hiccups that do not go away, the provider may perform gastric lavage or massage of the carotid sinus in the neck. DO NOT try carotid massage by yourself. This must be done by a provider.
If hiccups continue, medicines may help. Tube insertion into the stomach (nasogastric intubation) may also help.
In very rare cases, if medicines or other methods do not work, treatment such as phrenic nerve block may be tried. The phrenic nerve controls the diaphragm.
Toshiyuki Takahashi practices in Sendai, Japan. Takahashi is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Hiccups. He is also highly rated in 22 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Optic Neuritis, Transverse Myelitis, Neuromyelitis Optica, Laminectomy, and Spinal Fusion.
Kazuo Fujihara practices in Koriyama-shi, Japan. Fujihara is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Hiccups. He is also highly rated in 13 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Neuromyelitis Optica, Optic Neuritis, Transverse Myelitis, Myelitis, and Bone Marrow Aspiration.
Pongwut Danchaivijitr is an Internal Medicine expert in Bangkoknoi, Thailand. Danchaivijitr is rated as a Distinguished expert by MediFind in the treatment of Hiccups. He is also highly rated in 3 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Hiccups, Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Agranulocytosis, and Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC).
Published Date: January 16, 2021
Published By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
American Cancer Society website. Hiccups. www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/hiccups.html. Updated February 1, 2020. Accessed April 12, 2021.
National Institutes of Health, Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center website. Chronic hiccups. rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/6657/chronic-hiccups. Updated February 1, 2021. Accessed April 12, 2021.
Petroianu GA. Hiccups. In: Kellerman RD, Rakel DP, eds. Conn's Current Therapy 2021. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:24-26.