Comments on: Why do I get hiccups when I eat french fries or bread?

Question: Why do I get hiccups when I eat french fries or bread?

Melsky — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:45:04 -0800

Dense starchy foods frequently give me the hiccups, especially large cut french fries and corn bread. My mother and grandmother also have this problem.

It doesn't feel like the food is stuck in there, it feels like my throat closes up a little and then it's hiccups that are hard to stop. Usually I can stop them after a while if I drink water while holding my ears shut.

Any idea why this would happen? I'm just curious.

By: sugarfish

sugarfish — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 19:05:11 -0800

I don't know why it would happen, but it happens to me, too.

By: bristolcat

bristolcat — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 19:09:02 -0800

I just wondered the same thing today! I always get that exact same feeling when I eat at Burger King or when I eat too much, too fast.

Sorry I don't have an answer for you.

By: lonefrontranger

lonefrontranger — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 19:33:25 -0800

I dunno if its an answer, but you might try googling the term 'dysphagia'

IANAD, do work in a med clinic

By: BuddhaInABucket

BuddhaInABucket — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:25:19 -0800

I hate to piggyback, please tag this add-on question if it's unwelcome, but:

I get the hiccups really bad whenever I have spicy food. Why?

By: DieHipsterDie

DieHipsterDie — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:52:31 -0800

Happens to me too. Usually when I don't chew bread well enough or I eat too fast.

By: beammeup4

beammeup4 — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:54:47 -0800

i asked a similar question a few weeks ago, only my throat feels like it's closing up. Unfortunately, the MeFi's could not find a definite answer.

By: monochromaticgirl

monochromaticgirl — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 21:33:49 -0800

I have the same problem, and (for me) it's because I'm not chewing those foods enough. If I slow down and chew them more, maybe take a bit more to drink while eating, it doesn't happen. I've felt hiccups coming on while eating, and that's always how I stop it.

By: k8t

k8t — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 23:08:51 -0800

me too. someone told me it is a wheat allergy.

By: adgnyc

adgnyc — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 04:54:35 -0800

Soft pretzels do this to me, and, sometimes, carrots. Sorry I have no answer but I have long wondered about this.

By: dame

dame — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 05:59:07 -0800

Yep. From not chewing and eating too fast. It's annoying.

By: Pastabagel

Pastabagel — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 07:09:59 -0800

Dense starchy foods tend to get sticky after you chew them, thus food particles may be sticking in your esophagus or parts of your throat are sticking to each other for moments after you chew and swallow.

Try chewing them more, and drink water rather than soda or juice, which can make it worse.

By: Andrhia

Andrhia — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 07:41:05 -0800

I have no idea why, but it's an interesting question. As another data point, I don't get hiccups from starchy foods, but I do get them consistently if I eat too many raw carrots.

By: Mr. Gunn

Mr. Gunn — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 08:37:21 -0800

The bread is soaking up your saliva, your throat gets sticky, and when you try to take a breath things are stuck together, so you get a little negative pressure in your trachea and that triggers the hiccup reflex.

What can you do about it?

Eat more slowly and drink liquids with your food.

Eat better food. French fries and white bread(probably wrapped around a hamburger, yes?) don't only cause hiccups, they predispose you to Type II diabetes unless they make up a small part of your diet.

By: Melsky

Melsky — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 16:52:54 -0800

That's very odd to assume that, Mr. Gunn. I can't remember the last time I ate a hamburger. I'm very aware of what causes diabetes and I am not in danger of getting it. I don't eat fast food and I work out in a gym three times a week.

The things that cause this for me are cornbread, wedge fries like you make in the oven instead of frying, and dense whole wheat bread. Those are pretty healthy.

Thanks for the responses everyone. It's nice to know other people have this too. It probably just is food particles getting stuck in there. It doesn't happen a lot, in fact last night was the first time it happened in a long time and it made me really curious.