Is it possible to hiccup once

There's often no obvious reason why you get hiccups, but some people find certain things trigger their hiccups, such as:. In rare cases, hiccups that last longer than 48 hours can be due to a medical condition or a medicine you're taking.

The GP will want to find out if your hiccups are caused by a health condition or medicine you're taking. Treating the condition or changing your medicine should stop your hiccups. If there's no obvious cause, they might be able to prescribe a medicine called chlorpromazine to treat your hiccups.

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The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Symptoms of hiccups Cause of hiccups Triggers of hiccups Self-help strategies Hiccups may be symptomatic of disease Medical treatment Where to get help Things to remember.

Hiccups, or hiccoughs, are involuntary sounds made by spasms of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a large sheet of muscle slung beneath the lungs that, together with the intercostal muscles, causes us to breathe. The muscular spasm of these muscles sucks air into the lungs, and the quick inhalation makes a structure inside the throat called the epiglottis slam shut. The epiglottis is a flap of tissue that closes over the windpipe during swallowing to prevent the inhalation of food, fluids or saliva.

Generally, hiccups resolve by themselves after a few minutes, but prolonged hiccups that last for days or weeks may be symptomatic of underlying disorders. Certain drugs, including epilepsy medications, can make a person more prone to hiccups. Each contraction is followed by a sudden closure of your vocal cords, which produces the characteristic "hic" sound. Hiccups may result from a large meal, alcoholic or carbonated beverages or sudden excitement.

In some cases, hiccups may be a sign of an underlying medical condition. For most people, a bout of hiccups usually lasts only a few minutes. Rarely, hiccups may persist for months. This can result in weight loss and exhaustion. Hiccupping is a symptom. It may sometimes be accompanied by a slight tightening sensation in your chest, abdomen or throat.

Make an appointment to see your doctor if your hiccups last more than 48 hours or if they are so severe that they cause problems with eating, sleeping or breathing. Hiccups that last more than 48 hours may be caused by a variety of factors, which can be grouped into the following categories.

A cause of long-term hiccups is damage to or irritation of the vagus nerves or phrenic nerves, which serve the diaphragm muscle. Factors that may cause damage or irritation to these nerves include:. A tumor or infection in your central nervous system or damage to your central nervous system as a result of trauma can disrupt your body's normal control of the hiccup reflex.