Hiccups: Causes, Remedies, and When to See a Doctor
Updated: 2 days ago
Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: September 2026
Hiccups are uncontrolled spasms of the diaphragm — the muscle that separates your chest from your stomach area. Each spasm makes your vocal cords snap shut, creating the familiar “hic” sound. Most bouts last only a few minutes and resolve on their own, triggered by things like large meals, carbonated drinks, alcohol, or sudden excitement. But hiccups that last more than 48 hours can signal an underlying medical condition and deserve a doctor's evaluation, especially if they interfere with eating, sleeping, or breathing.
Quick Answer
What causes them? diaphragm spasms; short bouts are triggered by large meals, carbonated beverages, alcohol, stress, temperature changes, or swallowing air.
How long do they last? usually a few minutes; most go away without treatment.
When to see a doctor? if hiccups last more than 48 hours, or are severe enough to affect eating, sleeping, or breathing.
Long-term causes (48+ hours): nerve damage or irritation, central nervous system disorders, metabolic issues, and certain drugs or alcohol problems.
Home remedies: holding your breath, sipping cold water, gargling ice water, breathing into a paper bag — may help, though not proven.
Medical treatment: drugs like baclofen, chlorpromazine, and metoclopramide; in stubborn cases, nerve-blocking injections or a vagus nerve stimulator.
What Are Hiccups, Exactly?
Hiccups are repeated spasms or sudden movements of the diaphragm that you cannot control. The diaphragm is the muscle that separates your chest from your stomach area, and it plays an important role in breathing.
Each spasm causes your vocal cords to suddenly close. That brief closure is what produces the “hic” sound.
Eating a large meal, drinking alcoholic or carbonated beverages, or getting excited suddenly may set off a bout. In some cases, hiccups may be a sign of an underlying medical issue.
For most people, hiccups last only a few minutes. Rarely, they may continue for months. When they last that long, they can result in weight loss and extreme tiredness.
Hiccups Symptoms: What Do They Feel Like?
The symptoms are simple and unmistakable: uncontrolled spasms in the diaphragm accompanied by a “hic” sound. Sometimes you may also feel a slight tightening sensation in your chest, stomach area, or throat.
Diaphragm spasms: repeated, uncontrollable spasms of the muscle that separates the chest from the stomach area.
“Hic” sound: each spasm makes the vocal cords suddenly close.
Tightening sensation: a slight tightness sometimes felt in the chest, stomach area, or throat.
When to See a Doctor
The 48-hour mark is the key threshold. Make an appointment to see your healthcare provider if your hiccups last more than 48 hours — or if they are so severe that they cause problems with eating, sleeping, or breathing.
What Causes Hiccups?
Duration matters a great deal when understanding hiccups. Short bouts have everyday triggers. Long bouts often point to a medical problem.
Triggers for Hiccups Lasting Less Than 48 Hours
Drinking carbonated beverages — fizzy drinks can irritate the diaphragm and cause you to swallow air
Drinking too much alcohol — alcohol irritates the digestive tract and diaphragm
Eating too much — a full stomach stretches toward the diaphragm
Being excited or under emotional stress — emotional arousal can disrupt breathing rhythm
Sudden temperature changes — quick shifts in temperature can trigger the reflex
Swallowing air — such as when chewing gum or smoking
Causes of Hiccups Lasting More Than 48 Hours
When hiccups persist beyond two days, four categories of medical issues are usually responsible:
1. Nerve Damage or Irritation
A common cause of long-term hiccups is damage to, or irritation of, the vagus nerves or phrenic nerves — the nerves that supply the diaphragm muscle. Factors that may damage or irritate these nerves include a hair or something else in your ear touching your eardrum, a tumor, cyst, or growth on the thyroid gland in your neck, stomach acid backing up into the esophagus, or a sore throat or laryngitis.
2. Central Nervous System Disorders
A tumor or infection in the central nervous system — or damage to it from an injury — can disrupt your body's normal control of the hiccup reflex. Examples include encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord), multiple sclerosis, stroke, serious brain injury, and tumors.
3. Metabolic Issues
Long-term hiccups may result when your body's metabolism does not work properly — including diabetes, electrolyte imbalance (potassium, sodium, and other electrolyte levels too high or too low), and kidney disease.
4. Certain Drugs and Alcohol Issues
Medicines that cause drowsiness and relaxation, such as sedatives or other drugs used for anesthesia
The steroid dexamethasone, used to relieve inflammation in conditions such as arthritis, asthma, and kidney problems
Other steroids
Alcohol use disorder
Risk Factors: Who Gets Long-Term Hiccups?
Males are much more likely to develop long-term hiccups than females. Other factors that may increase your risk include mental or emotional issues — anxiety, stress, and excitement have been linked with some cases of hiccups — and surgery, since some people develop hiccups after general anesthesia or procedures involving organs in the stomach area.
Complications of Ongoing Hiccups
Persistent hiccups are more than annoying. Ongoing hiccups may interfere with eating, drinking, sleeping, and speaking — and they can also worsen pain. In rare cases where hiccups continue for months, they can result in weight loss and extreme tiredness.
How Are Persistent Hiccups Diagnosed?
The Physical and Neurological Exam
During the physical exam, your healthcare provider may perform a neurological exam to check your balance and coordination, muscle strength and tone, reflexes, and sight and sense of touch.
Lab Tests
Samples of your blood may be checked for signs of diabetes, infection, or kidney disease.
Imaging Tests
Imaging tests may detect issues inside your body affecting the diaphragm or the phrenic nerve or the vagus nerve. Tests may include a chest X-ray, a CT scan for detailed cross-section views, or an MRI for detailed images of soft tissues and nervous system structures.
Endoscopic Tests
These procedures use a thin, flexible tube called an endoscope that contains a tiny camera. It is passed down your throat and into your esophagus to check for issues in the esophagus or windpipe.
Most hiccups go away on their own with no workup needed. When they don't, the pathway moves from a physical and neurological exam to lab and imaging tests, then home remedies, and finally medical treatment if hiccups last more than 48 hours.
Hiccups Treatment: What Works?
Most cases of hiccups go away on their own without medical treatment. If an underlying medical condition is causing your hiccups, treating that condition may stop the hiccups. If your hiccups last longer than two days, medicines or certain procedures may be needed.
Medications
Baclofen: used for long-term hiccups.
Chlorpromazine: used for long-term hiccups.
Metoclopramide: used for long-term hiccups.
Procedures
If less invasive treatments are not effective, two procedures may be recommended:
Phrenic nerve block: an injection of an anesthetic blocks the phrenic nerve to stop hiccups.
Vagus nerve stimulation: a surgically implanted, battery-operated device delivers mild electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve; most commonly used to treat epilepsy, it has also helped control long-term hiccups.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
There is no certain way to stop hiccups. But if your hiccups last longer than a few minutes, these home remedies may provide relief — although they are not proven:
Breathe into a paper bag: slow, repeated breaths into a small paper bag.
Gargle with ice water: cold water gargling to interrupt the reflex.
Hold your breath: pause breathing briefly to reset the diaphragm.
Sip cold water: slow sips of cold water.
For ongoing hiccups, lifestyle changes may help:
Avoid carbonated beverages and foods that give you gas
Eat smaller meals to reduce pressure on the diaphragm
Alternative Medicine
When long-term hiccups do not respond to other remedies, alternative treatments — such as hypnosis and acupuncture — may help.
Preparing for Your Appointment
You may initially talk with your family healthcare provider about ongoing hiccups. You may be referred to a specialist if you have long-term or severe hiccups.
What you can do beforehand — consider writing a list that includes:
Detailed descriptions of your symptoms
Information about health problems you've had
Information about your parents' or siblings' health problems
The medications and dietary supplements you take
Questions you want to ask your provider
What your provider may ask:
When did your hiccups start?
How often do they happen?
What worsens or relieves them?
What medicines are you taking?
Have you had a sore throat or earache?
Do you have indigestion symptoms or bloating?
Have you had changes in your voice?
Have you had chest pain, a cough, or difficulty breathing?
Do you have headaches or other symptoms that might be linked to your brain or nervous system?
Bottom Line
For most people, hiccups are a brief, harmless reflex caused by simple triggers like big meals, fizzy drinks, or a burst of excitement — and they pass within minutes with no treatment needed. The important exception: hiccups that last more than 48 hours, or that interfere with eating, sleeping, or breathing, deserve a medical evaluation. Persistent hiccups can be a window into an underlying condition involving the nerves, the central nervous system, metabolism, or medications — and treating that condition is often what stops the hiccups.
Your next step: If your hiccups have lasted more than 48 hours or are disrupting your sleep, eating, or breathing, don't brush them off. Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider today to find out what's behind them.
Explore more of our digestive health guides: GERD (acid reflux disease) and its 8 lifestyle triggers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes hiccups?
Hiccups are caused by uncontrollable spasms of the diaphragm — the muscle separating the chest from the stomach area. Each spasm makes the vocal cords close suddenly, producing the “hic” sound. Short bouts are commonly triggered by eating too much, carbonated beverages, alcohol, excitement, sudden temperature changes, or swallowing air.
How do you stop hiccups?
There is no certain way to stop hiccups, but remedies that may help include holding your breath, sipping cold water, gargling with ice water, and breathing into a paper bag. None of these are proven. For ongoing hiccups, eating smaller meals and avoiding carbonated drinks and gas-producing foods may help.
When should I see a doctor for hiccups?
See a doctor if hiccups last more than 48 hours, or if they are severe enough to cause problems with eating, sleeping, or breathing. Persistent hiccups can signal an underlying medical condition that needs evaluation.
What do hiccups that last more than 48 hours mean?
Hiccups lasting more than 48 hours may indicate nerve damage or irritation (vagus or phrenic nerves), a central nervous system disorder (such as stroke, meningitis, encephalitis, or tumors), a metabolic issue (diabetes, electrolyte imbalance, kidney disease), or problems related to certain drugs or alcohol.
Are hiccups dangerous?
Occasional hiccups are not dangerous. However, ongoing hiccups can interfere with eating, drinking, sleeping, and speaking, and can worsen pain. Rarely, hiccups that continue for months can lead to weight loss and extreme tiredness.
What is the best medicine for chronic hiccups?
Drugs used to treat long-term hiccups include baclofen, chlorpromazine, and metoclopramide. If these do not work, procedures such as a phrenic nerve block or a vagus nerve stimulator implant may be considered. Always use medication under a doctor's guidance.
Why do men get hiccups more than women?
Males are much more likely than females to develop long-term hiccups. Other risk factors include anxiety, stress, and excitement, as well as surgery — some people develop hiccups after general anesthesia or procedures involving organs in the stomach area.
Can acid reflux cause hiccups?
Yes. Stomach acid that backs up into the esophagus can irritate the nerves that supply the diaphragm, which is one of the factors linked to long-term hiccups.
References
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This article reflects medical guidance current as of March 2, 2023.
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