How to get rid of Hiccups

Have you ever noticed how hiccups always seem to occur at the worst time? You may be at a quiet theater or getting comfortable in the dentist's chair when you are suddenly overcome with an uncontrollable diaphragm spasm that you are powerless to stop. Learn how to stop hiccups with these tried-and-true home cures. If one of the 18 suggested remedies for hiccups doesn't work, try the next one right away!

Shut your mouth.

Try covering your mouth and nose with your hands, but keep breathing normally. You should no longer have glitches, thanks to the additional carbon dioxide.

Do you realize that the most extended hiccup episode ever recorded lasted 68 years? Check out these astounding hiccup facts.

use your hands

The firmer you push, the better, so try pressing your hand's palm with the thumb of the other hand. Alternately, you can compress your left thumb's ball between your right thumb and fingers. Your neurological system is distracted by the pain, which might also stop you from getting hiccups.

A neck rub-down

Try massaging or stroking the carotid arteries on your neck's right and left sides if pressing on those pressure spots on your hands doesn't relieve your symptoms.

Take a deep breath.

The next time you get hiccups, inhale deeply and hold your breath. Your diaphragm relaxes when carbon dioxide builds up in your lungs.

Extend your tongue.

Out your tongue while no one is looking. Actors and singers use this exercise because it promotes the opening between the vocal cords (the glottis). Your breathing becomes more relaxed, which calms the spasms that lead to hiccups.

Cover your ears.

Try placing your fingers in your ears for 20 to 30 seconds the next time you get the hiccups. You can also push the sensitive tissues immediately below the base of your head, behind your earlobes. The diaphragm, connected to the vagus nerve, receives a "relax" signal.

Consume some water.

Sip water from a glass nine or ten times in a row. The diaphragm's spasms are suppressed when you drink quickly because of the regular contractions of the esophagus. If that doesn't work, cover a glass with a single layer of paper towels and sip through them. To suck up the water, you'll need to "pull" even harder with your diaphragm.

Combining the two prior methods

Better yet, you can keep your ears closed while drinking the water. Sip via a straw while inserting your fingers in your ears. One of the best at-home treatments for hiccups is applying pressure to the vagus nerve while steadily swallowing.

Take a sweet treat.

Since sugar's graininess might mildly irritate the esophagus and force the phrenic nerves to "reset," it is a common remedy for hiccups.

Or take something sour.

A teaspoon of vinegar should be used. Its sour flavor could put an end to a hiccup.

a jar of peanut butter

If you're wondering how to eliminate hiccups, a large spoonful of peanut butter is a traditional remedy. Your swallowing and breathing rhythms are disturbed when you chew to remove the food from your tongue and teeth. The glitches will thus be a thing of the past.

Eat some spicy food

This most likely works because the heat and burn are sufficiently distracting to divert your body's attention away from the hiccup process and onto the burn.

Enjoy some honey.

Place one teaspoon of honey blended into warm water on the back of your tongue. Similar to dill, honey may stimulate the vagus nerve to relieve hiccups. Bonus: Honey is a well-known infection fighter, cough suppressant, and excellent for repairing ulcers.

A delicious chocolate cure

With this approach, the procedure of how to get rid of hiccups becomes a bit more challenging. Immediately consume some powdered chocolate drink mix (such as Ovaltine or cocoa) off the spoon. It's difficult to swallow the tablespoon, but it should stop the hiccups.

Eat some dill.

Here is a quick, tasty tip to eliminate the hiccups: Slowly chew a teaspoon of dill seeds. This age-old remedy could be effective because eating the seeds activates the vagus nerve, stopping hiccups.

Inhale via a paper bag.

The next time you have hiccups, take a deep inhale into a little paper bag. (Stop if you start to feel dizzy.) The blood's level of carbon dioxide might rise. As a result, forcing the diaphragm to contract harder to take up more oxygen. This therapy may offer alleviation despite lacking any scientific backing, according to Mayo Clinic.

Grip your knees.

Place your knees on your chest and hold them there for two minutes while sitting comfortably. According to Blue Cross, bringing your legs together compresses your chest and may prevent diaphragm spasms.

Hiccups can be cured by sucking on a lemon.

Another well-liked hiccup cure is to bite or suck on a lemon wedge. The lemon slice should be soaked in non-alcoholic bitters if you have any on hand. 14 out of 16 hiccup sufferers were healed by this therapy, according to a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Best Health reported.