Hiccups have been a human annoyance since the beginning of time. Almost everyone has experienced the uncomfortable sensation of the involuntary jolt and sound of a hiccup, and most have tried a million different ways to get rid of them.
If you ask one hundred different people how to get rid of hiccups, you’ll most likely get one hundred different answers. Different remedies seem to work for different people, but we’ll do our best to provide you with a few options in this article.
Causes of Hiccups
Hiccups generally occur when your diaphragm begins to spasm. Your diaphragm is the part of your body that helps you inhale and exhale, but when it begins to spasm, you’ll get a quick jolt as a result of your vocal cords quickly shutting.
That’s when you’ll make the distinctive hiccup sound that we know all too well. Most of the time they will disappear almost as quickly as they appear, but when they are there, they aren’t a pleasant experience.
How To Get Rid of Hiccups
We’ll outline a few different ways to try and alleviate your hiccups and also suggest for you to learn about Hiccupops. If you experience chronic hiccups, the best idea is to talk to your doctor. Chronic hiccups can be defined as being extremely uncomfortable and lasting more than a day.
Breathing Techniques
It’s amazing what breathwork can do. Sometimes alleviating an ailment like stress or hiccups can be as simple as relaxing and doing some breathing exercises. Here are a few techniques to try out.
Long slow deep breaths – Breath in for five seconds and then exhale for the same
Hold your breath – Try to hold your breath for up to twenty seconds and then slowly release
Breathe into a paper bag – Slowly breath in and out into a paper bag (never use a plastic bag)
Hug your knees – Bring your knees to your chest and take long slow breaths
Chest compression – Lean forward and put pressure on your chest which will put pressure on your diaphragm
Eating and drinking
What you eat and drink may be able to stimulate your vagus or phrenic nerves, which will help relieve the hiccups. Here are a few things to try.
Opposite side of the glass – Try sipping from the other side of the glass
Ice water – Sipping ice water is thought to stimulate the vagus nerve
Suck on an ice cube – Suck an ice cube until it gets small enough to swallow
A spoonful of honey – Swish it around in your mouth for a while before swallowing
Vinegar – Try putting a drop of vinegar on your tongue
Find Out What Works for You
How to get rid of hiccups is a question that’s plagued humans for centuries, and as you can see, there is certainly a long list of things to try.
Experiment with some of the things on this list and see if you can find the perfect remedy that works for you. For more articles on health, business, beauty, and more be sure to check out the rest of our blog.
