How to get rid of hiccups

How to get rid of hiccups
Woman covering her moth after drinking cola
How to get rid of hiccups. It’s something we’ve all wondered at some point or another, after eating or drinking too fast and getting stuck with the annoying affliction.

There are many old wives’ tales out there on how to get rid of hiccups – but the fact of the matter is that in most cases, hiccups will simply resolve on their own.

However, if you want to speed up the process, here are some easy tips that might help you to get rid of hiccups.

Top tips on how to get rid of hiccups

Breathing techniques

Hiccups occur when your diaphragm begins to spasm involuntarily. When the muscle contracts, the vocal cords snap shut, producing the hiccup sound. Sometimes, simply changing your breathing can relax your diaphragm and end your hiccups.

Try holding your breath for 20 seconds, then breathing out slowly. Repeat as necessary. When there’s a build-up of carbon dioxide in your lungs, your diaphragm relaxes, which should help get rid of hiccups. Alternatively, disrupt your respiratory system with slow, measured breathing. Breathe in for a count of five and out for a count of five until the hiccups cease.

Read more: How to Use Your Breathing to Optimise Your Workout

Eating and drinking

Eating certain things or changing the way you drink may help to stimulate your vagus or phrenic nerves, which are connected to your diaphragm.

One popular remedy is to drink water from the opposite side of the glass. To do this, stand up, bend over, and place the mouth on the side of the glass further away from you – so the opening is around your chin. While still bending, tilt the glass away from the body and drink. This will force your abdomen muscles to contract and hopefully stop your hiccups.

You can also try sucking on an ice cube, or gargling with iced water. Many people recommend taking nine or ten quick sips in a row from a glass of water. When you’re doing so, the rhythmic contractions of the oesophagus override the spasms of the diaphragm.

Or if you’re looking for a solution that will be popular with the kids, some people suggest eating sugar. Put a teaspoon of granulated sugar on your tongue and let it sit there for five to 10 seconds, then swallow. While there’s no evidence for why this might work, it’s thought that perhaps the sugar’s graininess could slightly irritate the oesophagus, causing the phrenic nerves to ‘reset’ themselves.

Note: if you find that you’re still suffering from hiccups after 48 hours, talk to your GP. It may be a sign of an underlying condition requiring treatment.

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