We all know well the discomfort of a hiccup, but what are they? Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm. When the contraction occurs, it causes you to “swallow” the air, which is suddenly blocked by the closing vocal folds, making a sound like “hic”. Hiccups can last from minutes to a few hours and can be eliminated by using home remedies to raise the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. Hiccups that last for 48 hours are called persistent hiccups and if this is the case please consult a doctor.
Causes of Hiccups:
- Eat a lot without taking breaks;
- Drink something hot and then something cold;
- Drink a lot of alcohol;
- Swallow a lot of air;
- Stress;
- Smoking;
Here are 8 home remedies to cure hiccups:
1. Honey
This substance can cure many things, including hiccups! A teaspoon of honey is all you need to put an end to this inconvenience! Mix one teaspoon of honey in a cup of warm water and let this solution slide across your tongue before swallowing it.
2. Crystal Sugar
Did you know that a tablespoon full of crystal sugar can help stop the hiccups? Its grainy texture can change the nerve impulses in your tongue and irritate the esophagus. The vagus nerve is then stimulated and its sobs are gone!
3. Swallow something sour
The acidity found in vinegar or pure lemon juice can also upset the esophagus, ending the hiccups. Drink half a spoon every 10 seconds until the hiccups stop. Yes, it’s nasty, but it works.
4. Some Hot Sauce
The spicy sauce helps distract you from the hiccups. The spicy taste burns your mouth and digestive tract long enough to make you forget your hiccups. No need to appeal to the ultrapicant tabasco sauce. The soft type already takes effect.
5. Chocolate Powder
A good scoop of chocolate powder can do wonders for your hiccups. Fill a tablespoon with chocolate powder or Ovomaltine, and then swallow. The difficulty in swallowing chocolate powder can end the hiccups.
6. The paper towel method
Put a sheet of paper towels in the mouth of a glass of water and drink through the paper towels. It can also be a paper napkin. The paper forces your diaphragm to work harder to drink the water, making the hiccups disappear.
7. Chew some fennel seeds
This method is very old. Chewing a teaspoon of fennel seeds helps stimulate the vagus nerve, which should put an end to the hiccups once and for all. Fennel seeds can also be mixed with tea to eliminate hiccups.
8. The paper bag method
Paper bags are used to prevent hyperventilation and help cure hiccups. Breathing slowly and deeply into a small paper bag increases the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. This process causes the diaphragm to contract more to bring in more oxygen. The hiccups should disappear after a few breaths.