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Home Remedies to Get Rid of Hiccups Fast

By on June 8, 2016

Home Remedies for Hiccups

A hiccup may be defined as a sudden involuntary contraction of the diaphragm muscle. The diaphragm is a muscle that separates abdomen and chest. So when this muscle contracts you inhale air very quickly and the vocal cords close producing a characteristic sound called a hiccup. Usually, a hiccup is rhythmic or bouts and mostly have a no obvious cause. Some of the causes of hiccups are as follows;

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Hiccups Fast

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Hiccups Fast

  1. Eating or drinking quickly.
  2. Drinking too much alcohol.
  3. Eating spicy and fatty foods.
  4. Change in temperature.
  5. Drinking carbonated beverages.
  6. Fear and excitement.
  7. Swallowing air while chewing and
  8. Smoking
Remedies to Get Rid of Hiccups Fast

Remedies to Get Rid of Hiccups Fast

In most of the cases, hiccups resolve on its own. If it persists for more than 3 hours and disturbs eating and sleeping or is accompanied by breathing difficulty, vomiting, fever, pain in the abdomen, then contact your doctor as this may be due to damage to nerves, respiratory disease, infection, tumor, metabolic disorder or due to certain medications.

Hiccups are annoying and may cause embarrassment in public. Here are few easy home remedies to get rid of hiccups fast.

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Hiccups Fast

  1. Palm and thumb method to get rid of hiccups- press the thumb of one of your hands to the palm of another hand, hard or alternately squeeze left-hand thumb ball between the forefinger and thumb of right hand. This will distract your nervous system and your hiccups will end.

  2. Holding your breath to get rid of hiccups- Hold your breath so that carbon dioxide produced in the lungs relaxes the diaphragm. Exhale your breath after a few seconds. If needed repeat this again and again for a few minutes.

    Holding your breath to get rid of hiccups-

    Holding your breath to get rid of hiccups-

  3. Drinking cold water quickly- drinking cold water quickly will shock your nervous system and will distract it. You may add honey to the water to arrest hiccup immediately. Alternatively, you may also suck ice chips or ice cubes to get rid of hiccups.

  4. Drinking water upside down- Fill a glass with water. Hold the glass of water and bend down to the waist. Now put your head down and drink the water to get rid of hiccups. If you are not relieved, then repeat the procedure.

  5. Swallowing sugar- Take a teaspoon of sugar and hold the spoon filled with sugar in your mouth for about 5 seconds. Do not chew the sugar, but allow the sugar to dissolve slowly in your mouth. After5 seconds take a sip of water. This technique is very effective in kids to get rid of hiccups. Avoid doing this if you have diabetes. Swallowing sugar also helps as graininess of the sugar irritates the esophagus distracts the phrenic nerves to reset.

    Swallowing sugar

    Swallowing sugar

  6. Peanut butter to get rid of hiccups- Eat a teaspoon of peanut butter. You will try to swallow the peanut butter, but because of the sticky consistency of butter, breathing pattern interrupts and arrests hiccups. Almond butter may be an alternative, if peanut butter in unavailable.

  7. Sipping hot sauce- the Hot sauce will burn and this is enough to distract your mind and body and your focus will switch on burn instead of hiccups. Honey to get rid of hiccups.- Take one teaspoon honey and mix it with a half cup of warm water. Now swallow this mixture. Honey tickles the vagus nerve and also soothes a cough.

  8. Vinegar- Take half teaspoon of vinegar and mix it with a little water and slowly drink this solution. The sour taste of vinegar distracts you and helps to get rid of hiccups. You may use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar for this purpose.

  9. Chocolate powder- Try to swallow a spoonful of chocolate. As this is not an easy task you will get rid of hiccups.

    Chocolate powder

    Chocolate powder

  10. Brown bag’em- Take a small paper bag and breathe slowly and deeply into it. The increase of carbon dioxide in your blood will stimulate the diaphragm to contract more to get more oxygen and you will get rid of hiccups. If you start feeling lightheaded while breathing into paper bag please stop this immediately.

  11. Dill seeds- chewing and swallowing dill seeds slowly stimulates the vagus nerve to stop hiccups.

  12. Sipping with a straw while sticking your ears with your finger will make you press the vagus nerve and get rid of hiccups.

In the case of small babies, hiccups may be due to swallowing too much air while breastfeeding. Hold your baby and pat her back gently. This will let the swallowed air out.
Hope you find the above article helpful. If you have some more ways to get rid of hiccups please share it with us.

Dr. Ritu Kumari Gupta
Dr. Ritu Kumari Gupta:  Professionally a homeopathic doctor and a dietician Dr. Ritu Kumari Gupta is passionate about writing health and parenting blogs. She believes in holistic approach towards health and well being.
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