Hiccups: Spasms of the Diaphragm

Almost everyone, regardless of age, has had hiccups, so hiccups are hardly thought of as a movement disorder. But they are. They occur when there are spasms of the diaphragm, followed by quick, noisy closings of the glottis. (The diaphragm, a muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen, is responsible for each breath. The glottis is the opening between the vocal cords that closes to stop the flow of air to the lungs.) Although not life threatening, hiccups are annoying and can disrupt daily activities.

Usually, hiccups have no obvious cause. But they may be triggered by laughing, talking, eating, or drinking. Less commonly, hiccups result from a serious disorder, such as pneumonia or a stroke, or from abdominal surgery.

Hiccups usually begin suddenly and stop after several seconds or minutes. Occasionally, they persist for a longer time, even in healthy people. When due to a serious cause, hiccups tend to persist until the cause is corrected. Older people are more likely to have persistent hiccups, which may become exhausting.

Many home remedies have been used to cure hiccups. Holding the breath is the simplest way. Breathing into a paper (not plastic) bag, drinking water quickly, or swallowing dry bread or crushed ice may stop hiccups. Other remedies include gently pulling on the tongue and gently rubbing the eyeballs. For most people with hiccups, any one of these remedies works.

For persistent hiccups, treatment is needed, particularly when the cause cannot easily be corrected. Several drugs have been used with varying success. They include scopolamine, prochlor-perazine, chlorpromazine, baclofen, metoclopramide, and valproate.