Learn About Hiccups
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 cords produces a distinctive sound.
Singultus
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:
- Abdominal surgery
- Disease or disorder that irritates the nerves that control the diaphragm (including pleurisy, pneumonia, or upper abdominal diseases)
- Hot and spicy foods or liquids
- Harmful fumes
- Stroke or tumor affecting the brain
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:
- Breathe repeatedly into a paper bag.
- Drink a glass of cold water.
- Eat a teaspoon (4 grams) of sugar.
- Hold your breath.
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:
- Do you get hiccups easily?
- How long has this episode of hiccups lasted?
- Did you recently eat something hot or spicy?
- Did you recently drink carbonated beverages?
- Have you been exposed to any fumes?
- What have you tried to relieve the hiccups?
- What has been effective for you in the past?
- How effective was the attempt?
- Did the hiccups stop for a while and then restart?
- Do you have other symptoms?
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.
Texas Health Digestive Specialists
"Dr. Aamer Agha has been performing colonoscopy, upper endoscopy and capsule endoscopy procedures since 2005. He is board certified in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Texas in Austin, his residency was done at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Agha completed his Fellowship in Gastroenterology, also at Baylor College of Medicine. He has also published several papers in medical literature pertaining to Gastroenterology.Dr. Agha is a member of the American Gastroenterology Association</a>, Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy</a> and the American College of Gastroenterology</a>.". Dr. Agha is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hiccups. His top areas of expertise are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Hiatal Hernia, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.
Office
Pongwut Danchaivijitr is a primary care provider, practicing in Oncologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Danchaivijitr is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hiccups. His top areas of expertise are Hiccups, Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Agranulocytosis, Lung Cancer, and Gastrostomy.
Toshiyuki Takahashi practices in Yonezawa, Japan. Mr. Takahashi is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Hiccups. His top areas of expertise are Optic Neuritis, Transverse Myelitis, Neuromyelitis Optica, Myelitis, and Thymectomy.
Summary: Infantile spasms are defined by the occurrence of epileptic episodes characterized by the appearance of very specific motor seizures, made up of rapid, repeated contractions in flexion or extension known as spasms. This syndrome is of high concern as it will lead to mental retardation if it is not early identified and treated. Most often, spasms are characterized by sudden contractions of the body...
Summary: The COVID-19 Pandemic is the characterizing worldwide wellbeing emergency within recent memory. Since its development in Asia before the end of last year, the infection has spread to each mainland with the exception of Antarctica. Countries are dashing to moderate the spread of the illness by testing and treating patients, completing contact following, restricting travel, isolating residents, and ...
Published Date: January 01, 2025
Published By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
American Cancer Society website. Hiccups and heartburn. www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/eating-problems/hiccups-and-heartburn.html. Updated June 26, 2024. Accessed January 7, 2025.
DeVault KR. Symptoms of esophageal disease. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 13.
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center website. Chronic hiccup. rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/6657/chronic-hiccups. Updated December 2024. Accessed January 7, 2025.