We’ve all been there: you’re out with friends, you have a few drinks, and then all of a sudden you’re hiccuping like an over-excited child. It’s not what you’d call a good look. But is it normal to hiccup after drinking?
“For the most part, hiccups are harmless,” says Dr. Jeremy Rezmovitz, a family physician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. There’s nothing unusual or dangerous about “drunk hiccups,” but it might be a sign that you’ve had a few too many.
Advertisement
Rezmovitz wouldn’t necessarily tell someone hiccuping that they should stop drinking, but he adds that he “would argue that they would definitely benefit from some reflection on how they feel and what contributed to how they feel.”
How does alcohol cause hiccups?
There are two main reasons that drinking might cause hiccups, and they’re both connected to the way your body digests alcohol.
If you’re drinking something carbonated, like beer or champagne, that carbonation will expand your stomach. That expansion can irritate your diaphragm, the C-shaped muscle that sits above and around the stomach. Your diaphragm can contract involuntarily — that’s a hiccup.
Advertisement
There's also the acid reflux explanation. Alcohol reduces the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter, the ring of muscles that leads from the esophagus into the stomach. When it has less tone, the sphincter can release stomach contents back up into the esophagus. If the esophagus is irritated, that can in turn irritate the diaphragm, which will again cause hiccups, Rezmovitz explains.
Some doctors believe that hiccups are related to brain chemistry, but Rezmovitz says that theory is less understood, and he's not sure if it's true. There's the possibility that alcohol may "fire off a tripwire" that effects the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to various organs, including the diaphragm.
There are also several illnesses that cause hiccups, primarily disorders involving the stomach or esophagus. And Rezmovitz says that as with anything else, it's likely that some people are just genetically pre-disposed to hiccup more often.
How do I get rid of drunk hiccups?
There’s not a whole lot you can do once you have them, but there are several things worth trying to hiccups less likely, Rezmovitz says.
Advertisement
Drink more slowly. You’re more likely to irritate your digestive system if you’re drinking fast.
Drink water more often. In the case of an irritated esophagus, “drinking water may improve things,” he says.
If you’re into beer, drink it out of a glass rather than a can or bottle. Carbonation will be released out into the air when you pour beer into a glass. Without doing that, the carbonation will release and expand in your stomach, Rezmovitz says. “If you drink out of a can or a bottle, the chance of you burping or hiccuping is probably way higher.”
Drink non-carbonated alcohol. Yet another reason to choose wine.
Don’t drink alcohol at all. “Find a different vice,” Rezmovitz suggests. ″If you do know that alcohol causes you to have hiccups, I’m so sorry, but find something else. Marijuana is now legal.” (Quick note: he was, of course, referring specifically to Canadian law.)
“Searching For Normal” is HuffPost’s attempt to answer some of the internet’s most pressing queries: Is it Normal To ____ ? Why Am I ___? Why do I ___?
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.