Why Can't I Stop Hiccupping? Hiccup Symptoms & Causes | Buoy

Symptoms of hiccups

Hiccups, also called hiccoughs or singultus, can appear out of nowhere and for no apparent reason. These short, barking little coughs can be rather embarrassing and are often used in comedy suggesting drunkenness, even though they often occur without touching alcohol.

Hiccups are a spasm of the diaphragm, the large muscle that allows you to breathe and separates the chest from the abdomen. They may seem to serve no purpose in adults; however, hiccups may be part of a reflex that allows newborns to drink milk and breathe at the same time (older children and adults cannot do this). The "hiccup reflex" may allow air to be expelled from the stomach while the baby is nursing, thus preventing pain from swallowed air and allowing babies to consume more milk. In adults, they're usually just annoying.

Common characteristics of hiccups

Hiccups are a brief and involuntary spasm of your diaphragm. They can likely be described by the following details.

• Frequency: The time between individual hiccups is usually constant — that is, there's a regular rhythm with a certain number of seconds between each one.
• Sound: The "hic" sound happens because the spasms also cause your vocal cords to close suddenly with each spasm.
• Pain or discomfort: There may be some pain or discomfort with each spasm, especially if the hiccups have gone on for an hour or more.

Duration of symptoms

More often than not, your hiccups will be a temporary annoyance.

• Temporary: Hiccups usually last minutes but can last a few hours.
• Longer-lasting: In unusual cases, they may persist for a few days.
• Chronic: Rarely, hiccups may go on for months. The condition is then called intractable, persistent, or chronic hiccups.

Who is most often affected by hiccups?

Hiccups are very common in children, especially infants. Otherwise, men seem to be affected more often than women, though hiccups can happen to anyone.

Are hiccups serious?

The severity of your hiccups is ultimately dependent on the cause.

• Not serious: Hiccups may be a little embarrassing but are rarely serious. Nearly everyone has a bout of hiccups from time to time.
• Moderately serious: If hiccups happen frequently and there are other troubling or unusual symptoms, you should see a medical provider.
• Serious: A case of intractable hiccups — which means they never stop — may sound odd, but it's actually no joke. Severe, persistent hiccups are not only annoying, but may have a serious cause, which needs to be discovered. A medical provider can help you find the cause and will recommend treatment.