Can stress trigger hiccups?
Ask the doctors
Q. Annoyingly, I seem to get the hiccups when I'm tense, nervous, or surprised. What's the link?
A. Hiccups are one of those unwelcome visitors that always make us stop and wonder where they came from. Often, these spasms of our diaphragm — the muscle separating the chest and belly — are traceable to swallowing air while eating, chewing gum, drinking fizzy beverages, or taking certain medications.
But it's true that stressful or emotional events can bring on those bothersome "hics." The diaphragm is partly regulated by the phrenic nerve, which relays information from the brain to the diaphragm muscle to help control breathing. Hiccups occur when a sudden bit of nervousness, fright, or shock irritates this nerve, causing your diaphragm to spasm.
Hiccups stemming from emotional triggers usually don't last long — from minutes to a few hours at most. You can try to stop them more quickly by
- holding your breath for five to 10 seconds
- breathing into a paper bag
- sipping ice water
- biting into a lemon.
Image: © CasarsaGuru/Getty Images
About the Authors
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
Hope Ricciotti, MD, Editor at Large, Harvard Women's Health Watch
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