The 5 ways to CURE a bout of the hiccups – and when they could be a sign of something more serious
FOR most of us hiccups are nothing more than an inconvenient interruption to our day.
But for some they can prove a more permanent fixture, causing a range of health issues.
There's often no reason why we get hiccups, but they can be triggered by certain things like stress, strong emotions, eating and drinking.
Most of the time they clear up pretty quickly and are nothing to worry about.
Last year prolonged hiccups were among 22,000 "potentially trivial" cases seen in A&E, according to NHS statistics.
But experts warn a bout of the hiccups that won't go away can be a sign of a more serious condition, which is why the NHS recommends anyone who has had them for more than 48 hours seek medical advice.
Hiccups are an automatic reflex in which your diaphragm - the muscle under your lungs - contracts and causes your windpipe to close and make a "hic" sound.
But we aren't entirely sure why it happens.
So how can you get rid of them?
1. A spoonful of sugar
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the hiccups go away, according to the NHS.
And it is probably the most palatable way to do it too.
Swallowing sugar stimulates the vagus nerve, which tricks the body into focusing on food and digestion rather than hiccuping.
2. Breathe into a paper bag
The NHS recommends breathing into a paper bag, much like you would if you were having a panic attack.
This will raise the levels of carbon dioxide in your blood, which will calm nerves and muscles causing you to hiccup.
You should keep breathing into the bag until your hiccups disappear.
This should go without saying, but don't use a plastic bag as it can cling to your face and cause suffocation.
3. A mouthful of vinegar
Definitely the least palatable way to do it, but swallowing a spoonful of vinegar may help.
It's not entirely clear how this works, but the theory is the bitter taste shocks the body into focusing on something else - probably not vomiting the vinegar straight out again.
You can also try this theory with something sour, like lemon juice.
4. Drink from the opposite side of your cup
This one might sound a bit bizarre, but many people swear it works.
Drinking from the opposite side of your cup can help rid you of the hiccups.
You have to tilt your head pretty far forward to do this, but it supposedly works because it forces the muscles in your abdomen to contract.
That way, when you finish drinking, they relax and your hiccups should be gone.
5. Hold you breath
Some people swear by this method, others say it doesn't work.
It likely depends on the individual and how distracting holding your breath is.
This technique works much like the first, it increases carbon dioxide in your blood to calm the nerves and muscles causing you to hiccup.
But many people may find they cannot hold their breath for long enough.
When can hiccups be serious?
As mentioned above, the NHS recommends anyone who has suffered with the hiccups for more than 48 hours seek medical advice.
In very rare cases it can be a sign of an underlying illness or injury.
The longest ever recorded case of hiccups was Charles Osborne, an Iowa farmer who hiccupped continuously for 68 years, according to the
When he was 29 he fell over while working on his farm and, when he stood up, he began to hiccup.
They continued for the next seven decades, about 24,000 times a day.
In the last 1970s a specialist determined his fall had "destroyed a small area in the brain stem, inhibiting the hiccup response."
MORE ON HICCUPS
Another reason you may experience prolonged hiccups is damage to your vagus or phrenic nerves - the nerves that serve your diaphragm muscle.
This may be caused by a tumour or cyst in your neck, a hair or something else touching your ear drum, reflux or laryngitis, according to the Mayo Clinic.
They may also be caused by central nervous system disorders like meningitis, encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury or tumours.
Anxiety, stress and other mental health problems can also cause prolonged hiccups.
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