What Causes Hiccups: 5 Reasons You Have Hiccups And What to Do About It Easy Tricks to Get Rid of it

We've all had hiccups—the involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle—and they're both annoying and embarrassing, especially when they go on for an extended period. Here's what causes hiccups so you can work on preventing them.



Eating too fast

Hiccups (medical term: singultus) are a very common condition that almost always resolves in a few minutes to a few hours—but if you need a little help getting rid of them. According to Marc Wishingrad MD, a gastroenterologist in Santa Monica, “The main cause is usually related to eating—either too fast, too much, or too irritating (spicy foods or foods that are too hot or cold),” says Dr. Wishingrad. “Prevention, essentially, is learning to eat slowly and not over-indulge. Not easy!”

Bad habits

Drinking alcohol and smoking aren’t only bad habits, they can often cause hiccups according to family medicine Mikhail Varshavski, FM, (aka Doctor Mike).

Your emotional state

According to Doctor Mike emotional stress—or excitement—can lead to hiccups. When you feel that adrenaline start to pump or your heart rate rise, remember to breathe!


GERD

Hiccups can also be related to the very common condition called GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). “GERD hiccups can be a vicious cycle, with GERD leading to hiccups and hiccups making GERD worse,” explains Dr. Wishingrad. Hiccups can, in fact, sometimes say a lot about your health.

Surgery

According to South Florida cardiologist Adam Splaver, MD, in some cases, abdominal surgery can cause hiccups as well as tumors of the belly or central nervous system (these are typically intractable) or strokes. “If your symptoms do not abate within several hours it’s always good advice to see your doctor.”

Hiccups that last more than 48 hours

These are defined as persistent hiccups and a doctor should always be consulted. “Causes can include the aforementioned GERD, medication side effects, neurological diseases, as well as various infections, as well as cancer, though the latter is rare,” says Dr. Wishingrad.

Medical treatment

If you’re looking for a quick fix, there are some hiccup remedies. If, however, you have persistent hiccups, Dr. Wishingrad says treatments include acid blocking medication, as well as medications that affect the nervous system, such as thorazine, baclofen, and neurontin. “There are minor surgical procedures (such as nerve blocks) that can be done if medication doesn’t work.”


These spasms of your diaphragm muscle are not harmful, but until you find a hiccups cure, they can drive you nuts. So when you're desperate to know how to get rid of hiccups, try these 9 tricks.

Swallow something sweet




A spoonful of sugar is a popular hiccups cure because its graininess could slightly irritate the esophagus, causing the phrenic nerves to "reset" themselves, although there is no proof of this.


...Or something sour





Take a teaspoonful of vinegar. Its sour taste could stop a hiccup in its tracks.

Have some peanut butter





A big spoonful of peanut butter is a classic cure if you're pondering how to get rid of hiccups. In the process of chewing and getting it off your tongue and teeth, your swallowing and breathing patterns are interrupted. And hence, the hiccups will be history.

Sip some hot sauce





This probably works because the heat and burn are distracting enough to turn your body's focus on the burn, instead of the hiccup process. Hot sauce can also be a great sore throat treatment!


Enjoy a little honey





Put 1 teaspoon of honey, stirred in warm water, on the back of your tongue, and swallow it. Like dill, honey could potentially tickle the vagus nerve to make the hiccups stop. Bonus: Honey is also a known infection fighter and cough soother l

Yummy chocolate remedy





The process of how to get rid of hiccups gets a little more difficult with this method. Eat some powdered chocolate drink mix (cocoa or Ovaltine) right off the spoon. Swallowing the spoonful isn't easy and should cure the hiccups.

Brown bag 'em





Breathe slowly and deeply into a small paper bag. (Stop if you feel light-headed.) This increases the carbon dioxide level in the blood and makes the diaphragm contract more deeply to bring in more oxygen, which may stop the hiccup spasms.

Chew up some dill





Here's a simple, pleasant-tasting trick on how to get rid of hiccups: Slowly chew a teaspoon of dill seeds. This traditional cure may work because swallowing the seeds stimulates the vagus nerve to make the hiccups stop.

Try the paper towel trick





Place a single layer of paper towel over the top of a glass, then drink through the towel. You'll have to "pull" harder with your diaphragm to suck up the water, and concentrated gulping counteracts spasmodic muscle movements of hiccups.



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