Jair Bolsonaro had surgery for his hiccups. How to know when hiccups need medical intervention

Jair Bolsonaro. Focus Pics/Shutterstock.com

Brazil’s jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro was recently reported to have undergone three medical treatments to stop a bout of persistent hiccups. While hiccups are usually harmless and short-lived, his case highlights a condition that can, in rare circumstances, become medically significant.

Hiccups are one of the few bodily functions named after the sound they make. The sound is caused by a sudden, involuntary spasm of the diaphragm – a large...