What are hiccups?

Hiccups, also known as hiccoughs, are caused by a spasm of your diaphragm. The diaphragm is a thin muscle between the chest and abdomen (tummy).

If your diaphragm tightens, this causes a rush of air into your lungs. This forces your vocal cords to close, which makes the ‘hiccup' sound.

Hiccups are common, and will often stop after a few minutes.

If your hiccups last longer than 2 days, they are considered long-lasting or chronic. Chronic hiccups can affect how you eat and sleep.

What causes hiccups?

Hiccups may start and stop without a cause. Some things can make you more likely to have hiccups, such as:

• eating too much
• hot or cold drinks
• carbonated (fizzy) drinks
• drinking too much alcohol
• smoking
• chewing gum
• stress or excitement

Chronic hiccups can last for days or weeks. Chronic hiccups are rare, and may be caused by conditions such as:

• bowel obstruction
• pneumonia
• asthma
• brain injury
• diabetes
• appendicitis

Some medicines can also cause hiccups. Medicines that can cause hiccups include:

• anaesthetics — these are medicines given before surgery to prevent pain
• corticosteroids — these are medicines that may be used to reduce swelling
• chemotherapy — this is used in cancer treatment to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells
• epilepsy medicines — these are used to prevent seizures in people with epilepsy

Hiccups in babies

Babies often have hiccups. They can even have hiccups in the uterus.

Hiccups don't normally bother babies. If you want to help your baby stop hiccupping, you can:

• burp them after their feed
• give them a dummy or pacifier
• sit them upright after their feed

If your baby's hiccups last a long time, or they have other symptoms like vomiting, speak to your doctor or child health nurse.

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When should I see my doctor?

If your hiccups last longer than 2 days, you should see your doctor. You should also see a doctor if you have hiccups and other symptoms, such as:

• dyspnoea (shortness of breath)
• abdominal (tummy) pain
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• weight loss
• frequent episodes of hiccups

When to seek urgent care?

Hiccups can be a sign of something serious. You should seek urgent care if you have hiccups as well as:

• weakness
• numbness
• fever (high temperature)
• severe chest pain

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How are hiccups treated?

In most cases hiccups will only last a few minutes and won't need treatment.

Self-care at home

There are ways to help stop hiccups at home, including:

• holding your breath for a short time
• breathing into a paper bag
• pulling your knees to your chest to compress your diaphragm

Other treatments for hiccups include getting a fright and acupuncture. It's not clear how well these work.

What are the complications of hiccups?

Usually, hiccups will not cause any complications.

Chronic hiccups can sometimes cause weight loss and insomnia, but this is rare. This is usually because chronic hiccups can affect how you eat and sleep.

Can hiccups be prevented?

In most cases, hiccups can't be prevented. You can lower your chance of getting hiccups by avoiding things such as:

• alcoholic drinks
• eating too much food in one sitting
• carbonated drinks
• hot drinks
• cold drinks
• stress

Resources and support

Find out more about hiccups and other symptoms of digestive health on the Queensland Government website.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.