Hiccups in Chinese Medicine: Causes, Symptoms, and Herbal Remedies
Hiccups, known as hiccup or belching in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), often signal imbalances in the stomach, spleen, or other organs. TCM views hiccups as disruptions in Qi (vital energy) flow, commonly due to cold, heat, or indigestion. This guide explores these patterns, associated symptoms, and targeted herbal formulas to warm the middle, clear heat, or promote digestion—helping harmonize the stomach and stop hiccups naturally.
Whether you're seeking TCM insights for persistent hiccups or complementary wellness tips, consult a licensed practitioner for personalized advice. Below, we break down the key patterns with symptoms and remedies.
1. Cold Pattern in Hiccups
In TCM, cold invading the stomach disrupts digestion, leading to forceful hiccups. Symptoms often include aversion to cold and pale features.
Common Symptoms
- Constipation
- Coughing up and vomiting bubbles of saliva
- Dislike of cold or talking
- Dizziness with objects appearing in front of eyes
- Dry throat
- Hands and feet extremely cold
- Heavy and unclear voice with high-pitched and rough tone
- Hiccups with loud and forceful sounds
- Hiccups with cold hands and feet, easily started by cold air
- Love of hot drinks
- Pain in the inner stomach, improving after meals
- Pain shifting around with no fixed region
- Pale complexion
- Plenty of saliva
- Severe joint pain
- Sore loins and weak legs
- Thinking about water but no desire to drink
- Whitish urine
Herbal Remedy: Ding-Xiang-Shi-Di-Tang
Purpose: Warms the middle region, disperses cold, harmonizes the stomach, and stops hiccups.
Positive Foods: Cayenne pepper, dill seed, fennel, fresh ginger, mustard seed, prickly ash, star anise, white or yellow mustard, and wine.
Tip for SEO and Wellness: Incorporate warming foods like ginger tea to support this formula—ideal for seasonal cold-related hiccups.
2. Heat Pattern in Hiccups
Excess heat in the stomach causes rapid, dry hiccups with thirst and inflammation. Look for red tones and foul odors.
Common Symptoms
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Depressed, quick-tempered, and insecure
- Diminished urination
- Discharge of copious, yellow, sticky sputum
- Dry lips or dry teeth
- Escape of gas from the anus with noise
- Hiccups that make loud and short sounds, with dryness and thirst
- Hiccups that make quick sounds and occur quite frequently
- Light fever
- Red complexion
- Light sensations in the body that can turn easily
- Limbs are warm
- Little saliva
- Love of cold or cold drinks
- Stools with an extremely bad smell
- Thirst with incessant desire to drink
- Throat swelling and red, producing rotten liquid
- Urine with an extremely bad smell
- Vomiting of sour, bad-smelling foods, with a love of cold drinks
Herbal Remedy: Zhu-Ye-Shi-Gao-Tang
Purpose: Clears heat, sedates fire, harmonizes the stomach, and stops hiccups.
Positive Foods: Banana, bitter endive, black fungus, salt, spinach, strawberry, bamboo shoot, cucumber, Job's-tears, laver, leaf beet, mung bean, peppermint, and purslane.
Wellness Note: Cooling foods like cucumber can enhance this remedy—perfect for summer heat-induced hiccups.
3. Indigestion Pattern in Hiccups
Food stagnation leads to bloating and belching hiccups. This pattern ties to poor diet and irregular eating.
Common Symptoms
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal pain with a desire for (or aversion to) massage
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Belching of bad breath after meals
- Chest and diaphragm congestion and discomfort
- Diarrhea and constipation
- Hiccups with loud and forceful sounds
- Hot sensations in the middle of palms
- Indigestion
- Lack of appetite
- Love of hot drinks, but only in small amounts
- Nausea
- Pain in the inner stomach with swelling and fullness
- Stomachache
- Stool with an extremely bad smell
- Vomiting
Herbal Remedy: Bao-He-Wan
Purpose: Promotes digestion, regulates the stomach, and stops hiccups.
Positive Foods: Asafetida, buckwheat, castor bean, jellyfish, peach, radish, water chestnut, cardamom seed, cayenne pepper, coriander, grapefruit, jackfruit, malt, sweet basil, tea, and tomato.
Pro Tip: Pair with light meals like radish soup to ease post-meal hiccups and boost gut health.
Why Choose TCM for Hiccups?
TCM offers a holistic approach, addressing root causes like diet, stress, and seasons rather than just suppressing symptoms. These formulas, rooted in ancient texts, use natural ingredients to restore balance. For best results, combine with lifestyle tweaks: eat mindfully, stay warm in cold patterns, and avoid extremes.