How To Get Rid Of Hiccups: 6 Most Effective Ways to Cure The Annoying Problem

November 28, 2019 13:47

We all get hiccups. It really becomes annoying when you are eating something or when you’re about to give a weighty presentation and then the “hics” take over your speech. Well, this might be a well-known situation for many. While hiccups always seem to strike at the worst possible moment it's important to know how to get rid of them!

Piotr Swat / Shutterstock.com

Before we explore the cure for hiccups, let's find out what a hiccup really is.

A hiccup is a sudden, involuntary contraction (spasm) of the diaphragm muscle. When the muscle spasms, the vocal cords snap shut, producing the hiccup sound.

Common causes of hiccups include:

Iakov Filimonov / Shutterstock.com

eating too quickly,
eating or drinking too much,
drinking carbonated beverages
diseases that irritate the nerves that control the diaphragm,
laughing too hard,
abdominal surgery,
strokes etc.

While usually, hiccups go away after a few minutes, but at times they last longer than usual and can be very annoying.

9nong / Shutterstock.com

So now that you have hiccups, what can you do to put an end to them?

Here are 6 tried and trusted tips to get rid of hiccups fast:

Hold your breath
Drink a glass of water quickly

B-D-S Piotr Marcinski / Shutterstock.com

Stick out your tongue
Plug your ears with fingers for 20 to 30 seconds
Bite on a lemon
Take a teaspoonful of vinegar ( only if person doesn't have digestive tract diseases, especially acid reflux.)

Keep in mind that if your hiccups last for over 48 hours, you need to see a medical practitioner to ensure that it isn’t as a result of a terminal disease and negligence could be extremely costly.

Artur Szczybylo / Shutterstock.com

And one more thing...remember the tale saying that you get hiccups when somebody misses you? It was made as a means of distraction. When you begin to name the people who might be missing you, you deviate your attention from the hiccups, resulting in an end to them. Well, now your world would never be the same!

The next time you get a case of hiccups, try to use one of the methods above or a few of them at the same time! We are pretty sure the results will impress you. Do you have you own trusted ways against hiccup? Don't hesitate to share it with us!

This article is solely for informational purposes. Do not self-diagnose or self-medicate, and in all cases consult a certified healthcare professional before using any information presented in the article. The editorial board does not guarantee any results and does not bear any responsibility for any harm that may result from using the information provided in the article.