Persistent hiccups can be a sign of a more serious health problem. If it is transient, some tricks allow you to stop it quickly.
- Most of the time, hiccups are mild, appearing and disappearing on their own. But a few tricks can make it go away faster.
- If it persists or becomes chronic, it may be a sign of a more serious condition.
Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian President, was rushed to hospital on July 14 due to severe abdominal pain. For several days, the latter complained of persistent hiccups. “Following the guidance of his medical team, he was admitted to the Armed Forces hospital to carry out tests to identify the causes of the hiccups”, according to an official statement relayed by Here is the website. This example shows that hiccups, generally considered benign, can become dangerous.
The hiccups persist for a maximum of 48 hours
Hiccups are a succession of repetitive and sometimes noisy jerks. This is due to an involuntary, spasmodic and coordinated contraction of all the inspiratory muscles – the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles – associated with a closure of the glottis.
Most of the time, so-called transient – or acute – hiccups are commonplace and harmless. Its duration ranges from a few minutes to a maximum of 48 hours. It is usually due to digestive problems, especially related to excess food or alcohol, consumption of carbonated drinks or stress. In this case, to pass it, some remedies exist.
Some remedies to pass acute hiccups
As hiccups affect the inspiratory muscles, the first technique to overcome it is based on breathing: hold your breath for twenty seconds and then exhale very slowly. By repeating this exercise several times, it is very likely that the hiccups will stop.
Another technique if the first fails: inhale slowly for a count of five, and vice versa for exhalation, several times. If that still doesn’t work, then try drinking upside down! Concretely, the person leans forward while drinking from the side of the glass furthest away. The abdominal muscles should contract and stop the hiccups. Finally, some choose to suck on an ice cube or to quickly drink several sips of water in a row.
If it persists, a doctor should be consulted for a diagnosis.
Nevertheless, in some cases, the hiccups can become chronic or exceed 48 hours. Thus, it can disrupt the diet, sleep and quality of life of people who suffer from it. Do not hesitate to consult a doctor who can find the root cause of this problem. This can be associated with a disease of the esophagus, such as irritation, hiatal hernia, or even an ulcer or irritation of the diaphragmatic muscle. Rarer, hiccups can also be caused by a disease of the pharynx or larynx, a neurological disease such as a brain tumour, an intra-thoracic problem – an infection, heart or lung damage – or intra-abdominal, such as a tumor of the liver, stomach or pancreas. When the cause seems complex, patients usually do further testing to establish a diagnosis.
Finally, last cases, hiccups can also be linked to recent anesthesia or to a metabolic disorder concerning sugar such as hypo or hyperglycemia, or to an imbalance in salt. If no medical cause is found, this chronic problem may also be related to a psychological factor.
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