Discover the most common causes

Hiccups are sudden, rapid, intermittent and involuntary contractions of the diaphragm.

Hiccups are normally harmless and they go away by themselves within a few seconds or minutes. Their frequency can vary from between four and 50 times a minute.

What causes hiccups?

The diaphragm is a muscle situated at the base of the lungs. It opens and closes when we fill our lungs with air and it rises to help to expel air when we breathe out. If something interferes with these movements, they change and it gets out of rhythm, causing an attack of hiccups.

There are many possible causes of hiccups, but it is not generally serious:

• Eating very quickly and swallowing a lot of air.
• Eating copiously, which dilates the stomach.
• Drinking fizzy drinks and alcohol.
• Eating very spicy or highly seasoned food.
• Sudden changes in body temperature.
• Excitement or an attack of laughter, which speeds up breathing.
• Anxiety or becoming very emotional.

What can I do to stop the hiccups?

There are some tips you can try. They don’t always work and not everybody is the same, but they can help to cut the attack short.

• Hold your breath for a few seconds. Breathe in deeply and breathe out slowly with your lips pursed. This will increase the concentration of CO2.
• Drink small sips of cold water to relax the vagus nerve.
• Drink with your body leaning forward to interfere with the movement of the glottis.
• Sit in the foetal position and breathe deeply in this position for a few seconds to relax the diaphragm.
• Make the sufferer jump so that the diaphragm unblocks itself and resumes its usual position.

These are very popular alternatives but they are not scientifically proven. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t and they are only effective for acute cases hiccups.

There are other, science-based methods that are used in patients with persistent hiccups before turning to drugs such as: endoscopic massage, soft palette manoeuvres, digital rectal massage, phrenic nerve block and acupuncture. All these procedures must be prescribed by a doctor who, in cases of prolonged hiccups will study the underlying causes to make an exact diagnosis and decide upon the most appropriate treatment.