Why Do We Get Hiccups? Experts Explain, and Reveal Which Cures Actually Work

Few bodily quirks are as universal, or as baffling, as the humble hiccup. While most bouts vanish on their own, a handful of simple remedies may help speed them along.

Every now and then, you might find yourself spilling a drink and clutching your chest in mild discomfort. The culprit? Hiccups. Everyone gets them, and nearly everyone has a theory about what triggers them.

"We don't know for sure what causes them," said Dr. Stacey Milunic, a family medicine physician at Penn State Health. "It's not well understood."

What medical professionals do know is that hiccups are essentially a reflexive muscle spasm. They occur when the diaphragm, a muscle located between the lungs and stomach, becomes irritated.

"Hiccups happen when there's a disturbance in the nerve pathways that lead from the brain to the diaphragm," internal medicine physician Kayla Rapp, DO, explains.

Those irritated nerves, specifically the vagus and phrenic nerves, prompt the diaphragm to contract involuntarily and draw in air. The telltale "hic" comes from the vocal cords snapping shut to stop more air from entering.

Most people experience transient hiccups, meaning they strike at random and resolve quickly. Among other factors, these can be set off by what you eat and drink, as well as how much, or how fast, you consume it.

Though irritating and occasionally embarrassing, the condition is rarely a sign of a more serious underlying medical issue. Many people notice their hiccups flare up during emotional states such as anxiety or overexcitement, while others find that a large meal or a fizzy drink can bring them on.

Hiccups can also be a side effect of medication or follow a medical procedure, such as an endoscopy or anesthesia. Some people point to alcohol, smoking, chewing gum and spicy foods as triggers, though the evidence is less clear-cut.

"Basically anything that distends or expands the stomach or potentially could irritate it can bring them on," Dr. Milunic said.

She noted that hiccups are fairly common and can affect anyone from newborns to the elderly. Even babies in the womb are frequently spotted hiccupping on ultrasounds.

If you're battling a bout of hiccups, here are a few remedies worth trying:

1. Hold your breath: Dr. Rapp says this raises carbon dioxide levels in the lungs and may relax the diaphragm. Hold a deep breath for 10 to 20 seconds, then exhale slowly.
2. Breathe into a paper bag: This also boosts carbon dioxide intake. Never use a plastic bag, hoever, as it poses a suffocation risk.
3. Take measured breaths: Slow, counted breaths can calm the body, especially if stress is to blame.
4. Gargle water: According to Dr. Rapp, gargling may work better than drinking because it stimulates the nerves at the back of the throat.
5. Pull your knees to your chest: The fetal position puts gentle pressure on the diaphragm, which may interrupt the rhythm.
6. Tickle the roof of your mouth: A cotton swab or toothbrush may stimulate the vagus nerve.
7. Sip ice water: Small, slow sips, or sucking on an ice cube, can jolt the vagus nerve.
8. Try something sour or sweet: Suck on a lemon or let a pinch of sugar dissolve on your tongue.
9. Get startled: Enlist a friend to give you a good scare.
10. Do the Valsalva maneuver: Pinch your nose, close your mouth and try to exhale for 10 to 15 seconds.
11. Distract yourself: Count backward from 100 or recite the alphabet in reverse.

Most cases clear up within 48 hours, but Dr. Milunic said there are rare instances of intractable hiccups, which are more common in men than women.

"If you are hiccupping for more than two days, you would want to call your doctor," she said. "Rarely, but on occasion, it could be a sign of damage to the nerve or another serious medical condition."