Hiccup is a tightening of ‘Diaphragm’ the muscle which separates the abdomen from the chest and it may repeat a number of times in a minute. It is also called singultus or SDF (synchronous diaphragmatic flutter). When contraction in diaphragm takes place it makes you inhale the breath very hastily which follows by closing your vocal cords and produces a typical sound of a hiccup. In this article, we shall cover the remedies to stop hiccups naturally at home.
Hiccups may take place in sessions or individually. In most of the people a session of hiccups ends only in few minutes, in rare cases, it may last for hours. Generally, the only symptom is a sound of a hiccup, though sometimes one can feel a minor contraction in abdomen throat or chest. Hiccups mostly take place because of consumption of alcoholic beverages in excess or by intake of carbonated drinks, eating fast, overeating, having too much spicy food, emotional stress or excitement, unexpected change in room temperature, smoking and gulping down air while eating food or chewing something.
A long time hiccup which lasts for hours. It takes place due to respiratory problems, disorders in nervous system because of an infection or tumour, irritation in nerves or damage, gastrointestinal disorders, metabolism disorders or some certain medications. It can also take place due to imbalanced electrolytes, failure of kidney, tranquillizers, steroids, alcohol addiction, diabetes, barbiturates, and anaesthesia.
Hiccups can make you feel embarrassed or annoyed in front of other people. Generally, a session of hiccups ends without providing any treatment. Still, we have got some effective home remedies for you to get rid of hiccups.
Home Remedies to Stop Hiccups:
1.) Cold Water to Stop Hiccups
You can alarm your system with the use of cold water to end hiccups. It will cause a diversion and will help to end your hiccups soon.
Directions:
- Drink a glass full of cold water after adding honey into it. this will end your hiccups immediately.
- To get rid of hiccups you can gargle
- cold water for a minute.
- Alternatively, you can keep a small cube of ice inside the mouth and suck it for some seconds.
2.) Drink Upside Down to Stop Hiccups
Drinking cold water to stop hiccups is very helpful and stops your hiccups instantly but it can be more effective if you drink water upside down.
Directions:
- Take a glass filled with cold water.
- Bow own at the waist and set your head downwards.
- Then drink the cold water from the opposite side of glass than you would usually.
- Repeat the same again as per your need.
3.) Hold Your Breath to Stop Hiccups
Holding breath is also very effective in treating hiccups, it raises the quantity of carbon dioxide in your bloodstream which diverts the mind and ends the chain of hiccups.
Directions:
- Take a long breath and seize it for as long as possible for you without allowing the air out.
- Then Breath out with a control on air.
- Again Breath in and hold the breath.
- Repeat the same for few more times until you get rid of the hiccups.
4.) Sugar to Prevent Hiccups
Swallowing sugar is an old and natural home remedy to end hiccups. This remedy is mainly for the small kids who cannot perform those two remedies mentioned above. Swallowing some sugar excites the vagus nerve which makes your body forget or end the hiccups instantly. The same remedy can also work to get rid of baby hiccups as well.
Directions:
- Take a teaspoon full of white or raw sugar.
- Hold the sugar filled spoon inside the mouth for about five seconds
- Do not chew sugar. Let the sugar dissolve gradually.
- Then sip some water to end hiccups.
- This remedy is effective for adults as well.
- Note: People suffering from diabetes should avoid it.
5.) Vinegar to Get Rid of Hiccups Immidietly
The sour taste of vinegar helps to divert the mind and helps to end hiccups quickly. So it is another effective home remedy to treat hiccups. Use of apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar or white vinegar is efficient in getting rid of hiccups.
Vinegar is another effective remedy to stop hiccups. Its sour taste helps distract the mind, which helps stop the hiccups. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar will do the trick.
Directions:
- Take half teaspoon of vinegar and swallow it, drink a glass of water after.
- Alternatively, you can mix some water with a teaspoon of vinegar and swallow it gently to end hiccups instantly.
6.) Peanut Butter to Stop Hiccups
Peanut butter is another effective and age-old home remedy to treat hiccups. The viscous and sticky constancy of peanut butter disrupts the pattern of breathing when you start swallowing peanut butter and it helps in ending sessions of hiccups.
Directions:
- Take a teaspoon full of peanut butter inside your mouth.
- Grasp it for some seconds, and then start swallowing it without chewing.
- Drink a glass of water if you required.
- You can also opt for almond butter instead of peanut butter.
7.) Breathe into a Paper Bag to Stop Hiccups
There is one more tested trick you can go for, that is breathing into a paper bag. This process increases the quantity of carbon dioxide in the body which makes diaphragm contract more extremely to pass more oxygen in. which helps in stopping hiccups.
Directions:
- Press a small bag of paper tightly covering your mouth.
- Breathe in gently and deeply.
- Repeat this process few times.
- Note: We will not recommend this remedy for stroke and heart problem patients. Make sure not to make this process too much hard for you.
8.) Lemon to Get Rid of Hiccups Immediately
It is one more effective solution to end hiccups mid- stream. Lemon has a sour taste which overcomes the irritated nerves and makes hiccups end instantly.
Directions:
- Take half teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and put it inside your mouth, the effective taste will force you to swallow it hardly and will end the hiccups quickly.
- An alternate solution is to add the juice of one lemon with half glass of water. Drink this solution immediately to get rid of hiccups.
- You also can add some salt to a piece of lemon and start sucking the juice of lemon gently.
9.) Cardamom to Prevent Hiccups
Cardamom is very effective in relaxing muscles. It helps to stop hiccups quickly and is useful in treating hiccups in an effective way.
Directions:
- Take a glass of hot water, add one teaspoon powder of cardamom into it.
- Place it aside for about fifteen minutes and then strain the solution.
- Drink the solution gently.
10.) Chamomile to Stop Hiccups
You also can go for chamomile to get rid of hiccups. Chamomile also has muscle relaxing qualities which relieve the contractions in the diaphragm which causes hiccups.
Directions:
- Steep a teaspoon full of dry chamomile herb into a cup of water for about five to ten minutes. Drink this solution slowly to end hiccups.
- Alternatively, you can put one to two drops of chamomile essential oil inside a brown paper bag. Place this bag tightly around your mouth and nose and take deep breaths until the hiccups end.
11.) Hot Souce Remedy to Stop Hiccups
Yes, it read that right! The reason behind, using a hot remedy to stop hiccups is, it has burns and heat that distracts your mind and thus the hiccups stops.
Directions:
- Lick a hot sauce.
- After licking wait for a few minutes if the hiccups persist continue the same.
- However, do not over lick the hot sauce.
- Apart from hot sauce, you can also have red or green chilly.
12.) Chocolate to Treat Hiccups
Who does not like chocolates? There must be hardly any who won’t grab the opportunity to bite his favourite chocolate. Well, you have another reason to bite chocolate, during hiccups. The exact reason of this remedy is yet to discover but this definitely works.
Directions:
- Eat some powdered chocolate drink.
- Swallow it without thinking or chewing.
13.) Tickle to Stop Hiccups Immidietly
Well, this remedy works on the same logic that hot sauce. While tickling your brain will get distracted and thus immediately hiccups will stop.
Directions:
- Take a cotton swab or a ear bud, gently rub it on the roof of your mouth.
- This will give you tickling sensation.
- Or, you can ask your friend to give you a surprise tickle.
14.) Dill Seeds to Cure Hiccups
Many of you might not be aware of this ingredient. Well, it is a herb and a spice. The best thing about this seed is you can have it to stop your hiccups. By swallowing tea seeds, your vagus nerve stimulates and thus the hiccups will stop.
Directions:
- Take a tablespoon of deal seeds and chew it slowly.
- After chewing, swswallowt. If it does not taste good you can have a glass of water after it.
15.) Antacid to Get Rid of the Hiccups
Well, if nothing works, you can have antacid, that has magnesium. The minerals present in the antacid will reduce the irritation and calm down the nerves.
Directions:
- Take one or two table of antacid during the hiccups.
- Do not increase the number of the pills.
16.) Paper Towel to Stop Hiccups
This must be a great surprise remedy to hear. The actual reason behind this is, during the process muscle movement of the hiccups counteracts and thus the hiccups stops.
Directions:
- On the top of the glass, place a layer of the paper towel.
- Try to drink the water through the towel.
- While sucking water, pull your diaphragm harder.
17.) Ask Someone to Scare You
This is one of the funny remedies to stop the hiccups, though, but it is quite worthy. Ask a friend of your to scare you. However, make sure that it should come as a surprise. This too works on the same theory. Your brains can divert and have no time to command for the hiccups.
18.) Put your Fingers on Ears
This is one of the tried and trusted methods. While putting your fingers on the ears the branches of the vagus nerve come into the action. However, do not stick your fingers in the ears for long.
Additional Tips
- You should start singing or laughing out loud to divert your mind to stop hiccups.
- Intake of a fizzy drink in small quantity to tempt a burp helps you in ending hiccups.
- Set your fingers in your ears and take deep breaths for few a seconds.
- You can chew a piece of ginger slowly and gently to end hiccups.
- Hold the end of your tongue with your fingers and tug. This eases diaphragm spasms and stops hiccups.
- Do not eat in a hurry, chew your food slowly and properly.
- Overeating causes hiccups. Try to avoid overeating.
- You should avoid eating spicy food items as it irritates the lining of stomach and oesophagus.
- Cover your nose and mouth by both of your hands and continue breathing in as usual.
- You can Use a cotton ball to prickle the soft palate of the roof of your mouth.
- Clutch your nose and keep your mouth closed for as long as possible until the hiccups end.
- If your hiccup lasts for more than a few hours, visit a doctor for medical advice.
