Why do I get hiccups so often?

A hiccup is two things at once: your diaphragm - the main breathing muscle under your lungs - spasms, and your vocal cords snap shut, which makes the hic. MedlinePlus notes hiccups often start when something irritates the diaphragm, like eating too much or too fast, and the NHS adds the everyday trigger list: stress, strong emotions like excitement, eating and drinking. If you get them often, you probably have a personal trigger, and the usual suspects are specific: fizzy or alcoholic drinks, chewing gum or smoking (both make you swallow air), spicy food, eating quickly, and something very cold right after something hot. The fixes match the triggers: slow meals, smaller bites, less fizz, and the classic breath-holding or slow-sipped water when a bout starts. Frequency alone is usually a habit story, not a disease story. The NHS draws the medical line clearly: see a GP if hiccups last longer than 48 hours, or if they come back very often and are affecting your life - persistent hiccups can occasionally trace to a medical condition or a medicine, and a GP will look for the cause rather than just stop the symptom. Reflux is a common driver of stubborn cases, so mention any heartburn. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you find your trigger pattern.