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Hiccups can be embarrassing, annoying and even unhealthy. When you get them all you can think about is how to get rid of them. Here are some of the best methods for quickly curing hiccups along with some explanation as to why they seem to work.
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Curing Hiccup Tips
- In rare cases, hiccups can last for years.
- See your doctor if your hiccups persist for more than 48 hours or if they interfere with eating or breathing.
- Stimulating vagus nerve can cure hiccups.
- Many cures involve drinking water and holding your breath.
- Some drugs have been prescribed to cure hiccups.
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Introduction
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Usually hiccups last only a few minutes. These are known as transient or acute hiccups. If your hiccups last longer than two days, they are known as persistent hiccups.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
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They can occur before we are born and are believed to be a throwback to when we had gills.BBC NEWS: Why We Hiccup They can be embarrassing, uncontrollable and have been known to last for years.MSN Health &am
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A hiccup occurs when a spasm contracts the diaphragm, the muscle located at the base of the lungs. This spasm causes a rapid intake of breath followed by a rapid closure of the vocal cords. It is this closure that causes the characteristic "hic" sound
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Usually hiccups last only a few minutes. These are known as transient or acute hiccups. If your hiccups last longer than two days, they are known as persistent hiccups.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
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What Causes Hiccups
- Although doctors can not always find the cause of hiccups, they do know that some situations are likely to trigger acute or transient hiccups. These things include:
- Irritating the nerves that control the diaphragm: This can be done by eating spicy foods, using tobacco, and some diseases such as pleurisy and pneumonia.MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Hiccups MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
- Alcohol: Drinking alcohol relaxes your diaphragm and vocal cords, which makes it easier for hiccups to occur.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
- Sudden temperature changes in the stomach: Drinking hot and then cold liquids or switching from hot water to cold water in a shower can trigger the hiccups.WebMD: Hiccups MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
- A very full stomach: This can be caused by eating too much too quickly, swallowing too much air or drinking a carbonated beverage.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups WebMD: Hiccups
- Stress or sudden excitement: It is unclear exactly why these trigger hiccups, but doctors believe it may have something to do with the effect being startled has on the vagus nerves (which cause hiccups).MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
- Dehydration: When the GI tract is dry it is more likely to spasm.WebMD: How to Handle Embarrassing Body Problems
- Persistent and intractable hiccups (hiccups that last longer than 48 hours) are usually caused by more serious conditions and can even be a symptom of some of these illnesses.WebMD: Hiccups These things can include:
- Central nervous system problems including cancer, infections, stroke or injury.WebMD: Hiccups
- Metabolic problems such as decreased kidney function or hyperventilation.WebMD: Hiccups
- Anesthesia or surgery.WebMD: Hiccups
- Mental health problems.WebMD: Hiccups
- Stroke or tumor affecting the "hiccup center" in the brainMedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Hiccups
- Damage to the vagus or phrenic nerves such as a tumor, cyst, goiter, abscess or gastroesophageal reflux.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
- Other causes can include pleurisy of the diaphragm, pneumonia, uremia, alcoholism, disorders of the stomach or esophagus, bowel diseases, pancreatitis, pregnancy, bladder irritation, hepatitis and lesions.WebMD: Chronic Hiccups
- Again, the Mayo Clinic strongly advises that you see a doctor if your hiccups persist for more than 48 hours or if they are severe enough to interfere with your breathing.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
Cures Involving Water
- Water has been a long time favorite method of curing hiccups. It may work because the GI tract is more likely to spasm when it is dry.WebMD: How to Handle Embarrassing Body Problems It may also stimulate vagus nerve, which seems to work.WebMD: Hiccups Treatment: First Aid Information for Hiccups Whatever the reasoning, here are some of the more popular methods of curing hiccups that involve water:
- Drink a glass of water quickly.WebMD: Hiccups Treatment: First Aid Information for Hiccups
- Drink a cold glass water.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
- Drink a cold glass of water quickly (which combines methods 1 and 2).WebMD: Hiccups
- You can also do the opposite and slowly sip a cup of warm water.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Have someone plug your ears, hold your nose and drink a glass of water.MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies Health 911 suggests doing this with a glass of ice cold water.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Drinking from the wrong side of the glass is a classic method.KidsHealth: What Causes Hiccups?
- To do this, bend forward at the waist, put your mouth on the far side of the glass and tilt forward until water enters your mouth.
- Gargle with ice water.Telegraph.co.uk: Man Hiccups for Five Months (and Counting) (July 12, 2007)
- Eat or suck on an ice cube.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
Cures Involving Breathing
- Curing hiccups using various methods of breathing (or lack of breathing) are believed to work by increasing the carbon dioxide in the blood.WebMD: Hiccups Treatment: First Aid Information for Hiccups Although, it is also speculated that these methods work by disrupting the hiccup cycle.The Straight Dope: What are Hiccups and Why Do We Get Them? (January 10, 1997) These remedies include:
- Holding your breath.WebMD: Hiccups Treatment: First Aid Information for Hiccups Two slight variations of this include:
- Breathing repeatedly into a bag.WebMD: Hiccups This may work by helping reduce stress.Alive.com: Handling Hiccups
- Pinch your nostrils shut and exhale with your mouth closed, which is known as the Valsalva maneuver.Telegraph.co.uk: Man Hiccups for Five Months (and Counting) (July 12, 2007)
- Spread your arms out (like a T) and take several deep breaths.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- While sitting, place your head in your lap. Breath though your mouth while slowly counting to 20.MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies
Cures Involving Sugar
- Using sugar to cure hiccups is believed to work by interrupting the the impulse pattern of the vagus nerve.New York Times: A Horrific Case of Hiccups, a Novel Treatment According to WebMD, you should use corn syrup and not sugar when treating young children.WebMD: Hiccups Treatment: First Aid Information for Hiccups
- Eat a teaspoon of dry sugar.WebMD: Hiccups
- Place 1/2 teaspoon of dry sugar on the back of your tongue.WebMD: Hiccups Treatment: First Aid Information for Hiccups Repeat every two minutes a maximum of three times if necessary.eMedicineHealth: Hiccups
- Place a teaspoon of sugar on your tongue and then drink a glass of cold water.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Soak a sugar cube in lemon juice. Then let it dissolve in your mouth. Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
Cures Involving Drinking
- All sorts of interesting folk remedies have been created to get rid of hiccups. The methods listed here involve concoctions that you can drink. Since many of them involve drinking something sweet or sour, they most likely work by interrupting the impulse pattern of the vagus nerve.New York Times: A Horrific Case of Hiccups, a Novel Treatment
- Drink a teaspoon of unsweetened lemon or lime juice.MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies
- Mix the juice of one lemon to half a glass of water and drink. Repeat if necessary.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Sip a cup of warm water with honey.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies Honey should not be given to infants under one year because, according to KidsHealth, it can cause infant botulism.KidsHealth: Can I Feed My Baby Honey?
- Mix 3 drops of spirits of camphor into 1/2 glass of water and drink.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Add one teaspoon of lemon balm, fennel or passionflower to one cup boiling water. Let steep for 10 minutes. Then strain and drink.Alive.com: Handling Hiccups
- Add 1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar to a 8 ounces of warm water. Drink 2 tablespoons at a time on an empty stomach.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Add 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water and sip.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Pour a half pint of boiling water over 1/4 of a red pepper and let steep. Once the water cools enough, drink about 2 cups. Repeat if necessary.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Add five drops of tincture of Capsicum to a tablespoonful of water and drink.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Rapidly swallow a few mouthfuls of canned pineapple juice. Repeat every hour as necessary. Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Drink a mixture of vinegar, salt and water.MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies
- Drink 1/4 cup of dill pickle juice (from a jar of dill pickles).MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies
Cures Involving Food
- Some hiccup cures involve eating different foods. Many of them are either very sweet or very sour, which is believed to interrupt the vagus nerve impulse pattern and stop hiccups.New York Times: A Horrific Case of Hiccups, a Novel Treatment
- Eat a teaspoon of honey.WebMD: Hiccups Honey should not be given to infants under one year because, according to KidsHealth, it can cause infant botulism.KidsHealth: Can I Feed My Baby Honey?
- Bite on a lemon.Telegraph.co.uk: Man Hiccups for Five Months (and Counting) (July 12, 2007) A couple of variations of this include:
- Eat a teaspoon of peanut butter.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Chew and swallow a large marshmallow.MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies
- Eat two tablespoons of ice cream.MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies
Homeopathic Cures
- Several homeopathic remedies have been known to cure hiccups. These remedies include:
- Nux vomica. This is believed to cure hiccups associated with digestive complaints such as spicy foods or eating too fast.Alive.com: Handling Hiccups
- Magnesia phosphorica can help reduce spasms, like those caused by hiccups.Alive.com: Handling Hiccups
- Ignatia can help relieve emotion-related hiccups.Alive.com: Handling Hiccups
- Taking 5 granules of Cuprum metallicum 7 can also cure hiccups.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
Physical Cures
- There are numerous physical methods that are believed to cure hiccups. One of the most popular is to pull hard on your tongue. This method was listed by both WebMD and eMedicineHealth as a cure for hiccups.WebMD: Hiccups Treatment: First Aid Information for Hiccups eMedicineHealth: Hiccups It is believed that this stimulates the vagus nerve, which is known to alleviate hiccups.WebMD: Hiccups Treatment: First Aid Information for Hiccups Some other methods include:
- Rub your earlobes.MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies
- Use smelling salts.eMedicineHealth: Hiccups
- Place firm pressure on the collar bones.Health 911: Hiccup Remedies
- Have someone startle or frighten you.eMedicineHealth: Hiccups A teenage daughter managed to do this to her mother (who had the hiccups) by suddenly announcing she was pregnant. The hiccups stopped and the daughter reassured her that she was kidding.MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies
- Induce sneezing.The Straight Dope: What are Hiccups and Why Do We Get Them? (January 10, 1997)
- Pinch the cleft above your upper lip together, hard (but not painfully so). Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. According to MSN Health & Fitness, this disrupts the nerve impulses to the diaphragm.MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies
- Use acupressure:
- Resting the heels of the palms on your cheekbones.
- Place your hands over your eyes.
- Massage the temples by pulling the thumbs in toward your palms.
- Remove your hands and lightly press on the tip of your nose with a fingertip.BNET: Hiccups
Professional Treatment
- When hiccups persist for too long, then it is time to seek medical help. Your doctor may diagnosis an underlying disorder that is causing your hiccups. If so, treating the disorder will usually cure the hiccups.MSN Health & Fitness: The Myth and Mystery of Hiccups If there is no underlying cause of the hiccups, then your doctor may suggest acupuncture, hypnosis or a visit to a chiropractor.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups MSN Health & Fitness: 10 Hiccup Home Remedies Other treatments that your doctor may suggest include:
- Medication: Various medications such as Chlorpromazine (Thorazine), baclofen (Lioresal), phenytoin (Dilantin), Metoclopramide (Reglan), carbamazepam, valproic acid (Depakene) and phenobarbital have been prescribed to cure hiccups.WebMD: Hiccups Treatment: First Aid Information for Hiccups HealthAtoZ: Hiccups
- Chlorpromazine has an 80 percent success rate at relieving intractable hiccups.HealthAtoZ: Hiccups
- Other medications that may be helpful include anticonvulsants and benzodiazepines.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
- Carotid sinus massage: Do not attempt cartoid sinus massage at home.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
- Nasogastric (NG) tube: This temporary procedure works if your stomach is distended.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
- Nerve block: Doctors may inject anesthetic to block your phrenic nerve.MayoClinic.com: Hiccups
- Surgery: Surgery to disable the phrenic nerve can be done as a last resort.WebMD: Hiccups Treatment: First Aid Information for Hiccups
- Vagus nerve stimulator: This device is implanted into the upper chest and generates an electric pulse to stimulate the vagus nerve.New York Times: A Horrific Case of Hiccups, a Novel Treatment
Conclusion
- Of course, the information on this page is only the tip of the iceberg, as it would be almost impossible to include all the folk remedies and possible cures that exist for hiccups. But give this advice a try, as one of these tips is bound to cure your case of the hiccups!
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