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QUICK TIPS TO GET RID OF HICCUPS

Hiccups can come upon us out of the blue and they’re not always easy to get rid of.  The methods for curing hiccups can get very creative and not all of them work for everyone.  Others still will only work once on an individual before they become ineffective.  So what is a hiccuping person supposed to do? Here are the top quick tips to get rid of hiccups:

QUICK TIPS TO GET RID OF HICCUPS

USING PRESSURE POINTS

There are six possible pressure points which you can activate in order to stop hiccup spasms.

  • Below the collarbones to either side of the breastbone
  • The small hollow just behind the ear lobe.
  • The hollow at the base of the throat, between the collarbones.
  • About two inches above and an inch inward from the crease of your armpit.  Pulling your arm in close to your body will cause a muscle to flex at this location.
  • At the bottom edge of the rib cage where the ninth rib cartilage connects to the eighth rib.

PHYSIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES

Sometimes distracting your mind from thinking about hiccups can be enough to stop them.

  • Play the alphabet game.  Pick a random subject and try to come up with a related term for every letter of the alphabet starting with A and working sequentially to Z.  By the time you’ve finished, your hiccups should be gone.
  • Put on a favourite song and drum out the rhythm on the bottoms of your feet.

BREATHING EXERCISES

Use these tricks to alter your breathing pattern and force your diaphragm to stop spasming.

  • Open your mouth as wide as you can and hold it that way for at least twenty seconds.  If you need to swallow, try to do so without closing your mouth.
  • Sit up straight in a chair.  Breathe in slowly and count to twenty.  Then lean forward in the chair as you breathe out. This will compress your diaphragm and force it to stop spasming.
  • Sit on the floor with your back against a wall.  Breathe in as much as you can then breathe out slowly.  Pull your knees up and hug them against your chest.
  • Draw in as much air as you can, then breath in a little bit more.  Push your stomach out as far as you can and hold your breath for about twenty seconds.  Then breath out slowly and count backwards from twenty.  Repeat these three or four times.

FOODS AND DRINKS

The idea behind each of these techniques is to overload your senses and distract your body from the spasms that are causing you to hiccup.

  1. Place a teaspoon of sugar on the back of your tongue and let it melt there.  Resist the urge to swallow until the sugar is totally dissolved.
  2. Gargle with salt water.
  3. Chew on a piece of liquorice root.
  4. Drink a teaspoon or two of pickle juice or straight apple cider vinegar.
  5. Place a pencil horizontally between your teeth and try to drink a full glass of water without removing it.
  6. Cover the top of the glass with a paper towel and drink through it. Drop some fresh herbs in the glass.

DISTRACTING YOUR VAGAS NERVE

There are several good methods for curing hiccups which involve stimulating the vagas nerve in order to distract it and hopefully stop the spasms.

  1. Gently draw a toothpick along the roof of your mouth.
  2. Breath in as far as you can and hold it.  Then stick out your tongue and tug on it.
  3. Tickle the roof of your mouth with a cotton swab.

Use these tricks to stop your hiccups. These methods might work for some and not for others. If your hiccups still fail to stop after 2 days straight, you need to consult a doctor.