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How to Stop Hiccups Fast (Remedies to get Rid of Hiccups)

If you’re experiencing hiccups and want to stop them fast, then there are some home remedies to stop hiccups fast. Although there really isn’t any proof as to whether these remedies work, you can try them all to see which works for you.

 

1) Hold your breath

2) Drink a quick glass of water

3) Sip on the other side of a glass of water. By this, we mean hold the glass to lower than chest high, bend forward and drink from the outermost rim of the glass.

4) Swallow a teaspoon of sugar

5) Pull on your tongue

6) Gargle with water

7) Controlled breathing. Breathe into a paper bag for a short interval of time.

 

These are some of the most effective means to cure hiccups. One or the other may work for you. Hence try one by one and see which one works for you. Most of the time, hiccups usually just go away on their own, however, in some instances, hiccups can be observed for a shorter yet substantial duration of time. In less than usual circumstances, hiccups may run for a longer period of time. 

 

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Long Term Hiccups (Chronic Hiccups)

 

If you’ve had hiccups and they don’t stop no matter what you have tried and lasts for a few days, it could soon cause havoc on your life. You would find it difficult to eat, breathe or sleep. If this is the case, you should consult your doctor. The doctor would be able to run a few tests and see what is wrong with your body and understand why it is reacting the way it is. The health care professional will be able to recommend and prescribe medication to help ease the situation. If you are experiencing other difficulties such as coughing up blood or vomiting, you should consult your doctor immediately. 

 

A ‘hiccup bout’ is what it is called if the hiccups last up to 48 hours, which is two days. Whereas ‘persistent hiccups’ occurs when it is more than 48 hours but is resolved within a month. ‘Intractable hiccups’ usually last much longer than one month. For either of these cases, it is recommended that you consult a health care professional to get guidance on resolving your case. If hiccups last longer than three hours, it is recommended that you consult a health care professional.

 

Chlorpromazine is the first line of medication that works for such a patient, hence consult a professional if you experience long term hiccups. 

 

 

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How to Stop Hiccups

The techniques recommended herewith can all be tried at home to stop hiccups. They could produce the desired result of stopping hiccups but would depend from person to person and the seriousness of the condition. With regards to these techniques, what are the internal workings which actually help stop hiccups?

 

A couple of the methods mentioned herewith including holding or controlling your breath. This is an action that results in the retention of carbon dioxide, which enables you to relax your diaphragm. This resultantly enables you to stop the spasming mechanism which causes the hiccups. The results from a few other methods such as drinking or sipping water is attained by stimulating the nasopharynx and the vagus nerve; they connect your brain and stomach. Stimulating both the nasopharynx and the vagus nerve enables the relaxation of the diaphragm which cause the hiccups to stop. Another technique that utilises this same internal mechanism of resolving hiccups is to get someone to scare you. The action of being scared would also stimulate the nasopharynx and the vagus nerve, which could stop the hiccups. However, when you are expecting someone to scare you, it is less likely that you would get scared, which is why this technique didn’t make the list of the fast ways to stop hiccups. 

 

 

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Babies and Hiccups

Usually, much like adults, babies often develop the condition and is usually not a cause for concern. Hiccups usually occur in babies and infants alike when feeding. If this is noticed, stop the feeding and attempt to burp the child. The burping action will help resolve the hiccups. Further to this, do what you can to calm the child which could also cure the hiccups. If neither of these things works, you can try resuming to feed the baby, which may stop the hiccups. If hiccups are becoming a common thing during feeding, it is best to change the times you feed the baby. Feed the baby when the baby is not too hungry and is in a relaxed state. 

 

If none of these things works, it is best to consult your paediatrician. 

 

Causes of Hiccups

The internal mechanism which causes the hiccups is the involuntary spasm of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a large muscle that runs across your chest. It helps you breathe in and out. Often times, hiccups are caused by a shock to the breathing mechanism. This is usually the underlying cause of hiccups. When the spasm occurs, your vocal cord snaps shut, which is what causes the sound which accompanies hiccups. 

 

 

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There are various things that could be pinned as the cause of hiccups. If you eat spicy food, then this could be a cause. Or if you drink carbonated drinks, this could be a cause. Stress can be another trigger of hiccups. If you drink alcohol or are dehydrated to some extent, then this could be a cause. 

 

Hiccups can be a recognition of a more serious health condition that you may be facing. There may be some cardiovascular issue that could be causing the hiccups. Hiccups can also be caused by acid reflux; a digestive issue. If you inhale noxious fumes, then hiccups could be caused by a form of lung disease. If you experience long term hiccups, it may be an underlying health condition that is causing it. Hence it is important to get a comprehensive understanding of the situation, for which a health care professional should be consulted. 

 

Some other Techniques to Stop Hiccups

If the techniques on the list at the top of this post doesn’t produce the desired result of stopping the hiccups, here are some other things you can try to get them to stop. 

 

You can try hugging your knees. Sit on the floor, bend your knees and bring them to your chest and hold in position for a few minutes. The position in which the diaphragm is placed may stop the hiccups. You can also try poking the back of your throat. It is important to be gentle when you try this and try using a cotton bud. However the intention is to make you gag, hence if a cotton bud doesn’t work, try using a toothbrush. 

 

 

Try rubbing your chest and neck to stimulate the muscles and relax your breathing. This could have some effect to help resolve your hiccups. You can also try sucking a lemon or tasting some vinegar. Apart from eating sugar, which made the list, you can also try eating some honey. The action the tongue takes when tasting honey could help relax the diaphragm. 

 

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You can also unorthodoxly try sucking an ice cube. A technique that may work better is to locate and apply pressure on your diaphragm. The diaphragm is located between your abdomen and lungs, hence apply some pressure to the general area and try stimulating it. 

 

Did it Work?

Let us know in the comments below if any of the techniques work for you, so we can get a better idea as to what works best for everyone. Hiccups usually isn’t a cause for worry and often go off on their own. However, if you do experience long term hiccups, we recommend that you consult a health care professional to get the guidance you require to resolve it. 

 

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Happy Breathing!

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