Causes of Hiccups

Most hiccups come from something that irritates the diaphragm or the nerves that control it.

Common everyday triggers

• Eating or drinking too fast, or swallowing air
• A very large or spicy meal
• Fizzy drinks and alcohol
• Sudden changes in temperature, such as a cold drink after hot food
• Excitement, stress or laughing
• Chewing gum or sucking sweets

Medical causes of longer-lasting hiccups

• Stomach and food pipe: acid reflux (GERD), a hiatal hernia, ulcers
• Nerve irritation: anything pressing on or irritating the phrenic or vagus nerves, including a goitre, a tumour in the neck or chest, or a foreign body in the ear
• Brain and nervous system: stroke, tumour, meningitis or other central nervous system problems
• Metabolic causes: kidney failure, diabetes, low sodium or calcium
• Infections or inflammation in the chest or abdomen
• After surgery or anaesthesia
• Medicines: some steroids, sedatives, chemotherapy drugs and others

Who is more likely to get them

Babies after feeds, people who drink alcohol, and people with reflux or recent surgery.

Ayurvedic view

Ayurveda links hikka to aggravated vata and kapha, often connected with irregular eating. This is a traditional framework and not a proven explanation.

Key point

A clear trigger such as a fast meal explains most cases. Hiccups with no clear cause that continue deserve a medical check.

Before your appointment

Note when the hiccups began, how long they last, what seems to trigger or ease them, and whether they disturb sleep or eating. List all medicines, alcohol use, recent surgery and any reflux, chest pain, weakness or breathing trouble. Bring past reports. Ask about tests, treatment options and the warning signs that mean you should call 112 or 102.