Quick Home Remedies for Hiccups
Hiccups (or hiccoughs) can be annoying, especially persistent hiccups. You can hardly make it through a sentence before a weird spasm interrupts you. Even worse, some of the “cures” are just as bad as the hiccups. Suddenly, everyone wants to scare you! No thanks. Instead, we looked into a few home cures that can help with annoying hiccups quickly and actually have a bit of proof behind them. That’s certainly better than drinking a glass of water upside down! So, what are these quick cures?
What Are Hiccups?
First and foremost, to understand how to fix a persistent bout of hiccups, you should know what hiccups are and what causes them. Hiccups are spasms in your diaphragm, a muscle that controls the expansion and compression of your lungs. When the diaphragm spasms, it causes you to rapidly suck in air, hitting your voice box and forcing out the noise we call a hiccup. Hiccups can be caused by a number of things, most commonly by irritation to the diaphragm or the nerve that connects the diaphragm to the brain. In some cases, hiccups can even be caused by stress or anxiety disorders!
Hiccups are spasms in your diaphragm that causes you to rapidly suck in air, hitting your voice box.
Physical causes of hiccups can range from eating too quickly to drinking carbonated beverages or alcohol. Sometimes, sucking in too much air while you’re eating or chewing gum can even cause them. Each of these instances cause irritation and spasming to the diaphragm. Usually, hiccups will go away on their own, but sometimes, this isn’t fast enough! If you want to rid yourself of these meddlesome hiccups fast, you’ll need to relieve the irritation.
Hold Your Breath
One of the most common causes of hiccups is swallowing air, either through eating too quickly or chewing gum, for example. One way to relieve yourself of hiccups is to do the opposite, hold your breath. Holding your breath builds up carbon dioxide in your lungs. Some experts believe that this causes the diaphragm to relax, stopping the spasms. Now, we’re not suggesting you hold your breath until you pass out. Instead, try for about 20 seconds before taking a breath.
Some experts believe that building up carbon dioxide in your lungs causes the diaphragm to relax, stopping the spasms.
Alternatively, the classic “breathe into a paper bag” may also work by the same merit. The paper bag traps the carbon dioxide, and you breathe it back in. This, in turn, relaxes the diaphragm, theoretically stopping the hiccups. The difference between the two is that you’re getting breaths with the bag method, but also need a bag. Either way, this home remedy at least has some basis in fact.
A Spoonful of Sugar
They say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down (suddenly we owe Disney $.25 in royalties), but what if the spoonful of sugar WAS the medicine? In the case of hiccups, it may be. Sugar is found to stimulate the vagus nerve. This stimulation signals to your brain that something more important is happening elsewhere. Essentially, the sugar makes your brain forget about the irritation in the diaphragm and causes the hiccups to stop.
Sugar is found to stimulate the vagus nerve, which signals to your brain that something more important is happening elsewhere.
This may sound crazy, but one study from 1971 shows it may actually be effective. The team behind Granulated Sugar as a Treatment for Hiccups in Conscious Patients found that 19 out of the 20 subjects were able to relieve their hiccups with sugar. This can be sweet relief for anyone dealing with annoyingly persistent hiccups!
Switch to Peanut Butter or Something Sour
If you’re not in the mood to down a spoon of sugar — it’s a major culprit in weight gain after all — you’ve got other options that have some backing in science. One example is peanut butter, which has been looked at by several experts. While some believe this has to do with coating the esophagus and soothing the irritation, others think it’s more mental than that. Instead, it has more to do with the calming and controlling effects ingesting peanut butter.
The peanut butter is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy, where you’re controlling your breathing and thinking about what you’re doing instead of getting anxious — internist Tyler Cymet told The Washington Post.
Similarly, sour or bitter cures, in small doses, may actually be effective as well. An old folk remedy suggests that eating a lemon wedge, sometimes saturated in non-alcoholic bitters or sugar to ease the taste, can cure hiccups for at least two hours. This claim was put to the test in the New England Journal of Medicine and found to work in 14 of 16 patients. That’s quite a success rate for a home remedy!
● ● ●
Generally, hiccups will go away on their own over time. But while you have them, hiccups can be annoying and frustrating. Don’t be like Charles Osborne, who’s the Guinness world record holder for the longest bout of hiccups — 68 years! If your hiccups aren’t going away or if you need them gone quickly, you can try one of these simple home remedies to find relief, and hopefully, wave goodbye to your hiccups!
Featured Blogs
- Learning to Ski
- The Stories Behind Classic Christmas Carols
- 4 More Tips to Make Christmas Tree Hunt Less Stressful
- Why Do We Celebrate That? Other Festive Holidays
- A Senior Guide to Boston
- A Senior Guide to Edinburgh
- How Does Medicare Cover Osteoporosis?
- What are Ulcers?
- Medicare's Coverage of Parkinson's Disease
- What is a Cognitive Screening?
- Spooky Spots for Halloween 2023
- 4 Ways to Keep Trick-or-Treating Safe
- 10 Classic Horror Books for Halloween
- Here's What Medicare Costs in 2024
- 10 Safety Rules for Seniors Who Enjoy Hunting
- Medicareful Living is Changing Its Name — Here's Why
- CMS Releases 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Costs
- Can You Keep Your Medicare Plan Each Year?
- A Senior Guide to Lucerne
- Is Expensive Cookware Worth It?
- The Drug Prices Medicare Can Directly Negotiate
- Does Medicare Ever Cover Cosmetic Surgery?
- A Senior Guide to Barcelona
- How Does COBRA Work with Medicare?
- Different Ways Medicare Can Cover Drug Costs
- Medicareful Living is Changing Its Name — Here's Why
- CMS Releases 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Costs
- Can You Keep Your Medicare Plan Each Year?
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to Lucerne
- Is Expensive Cookware Worth It?
- The Drug Prices Medicare Can Directly Negotiate
- Does Medicare Ever Cover Cosmetic Surgery?
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to Barcelona
- How Does COBRA Work with Medicare?
- Different Ways Medicare Can Cover Drug Costs
- All About Enrolling in Social Security
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to the Madrid
- Does Medicare Cover Open-Heart Surgery?
- Exercise Tips for Summer
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to Lisbon
- Hosting a Safe Summer Barbecue
- Senior Summer Barbecue Tips
- Does Medicare Cover Biopsies?
- 5 Foods to Avoid if You Have High Blood Pressure
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to the Finger Lakes
- Does Medicare Cover Endoscopies?
- Ways Seniors Can Recover from a Workout
- Is Chocolate Healthy for You?
- Understanding Adult ADHD
- How Does Medicare Cover Hypertension?
- The Symptoms and Treatment of Parkinson's Disease
- How to Determine What Temperature to Use When Cooking
- Eating Healthy on a Budget
- Keeping Fit on Vacation
- Is Your Tonsillectomy Covered by Medicare?
- Tips for the Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Kitchen First Aid Tips
- What Does FDA-Approved Mean?
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Guide to New York City
- How to Caramelize Onions
- Why Do We Celebrate That? April Fools’ Day
- Medicare and Powers of Attorney
- The Essential Role of Eggs in Cooking
- What are Different Types of Complementary
and Alternative Medicine? - Tips for Remembering to Take Your Medicine
- What is Medicare Part E?
- Building Your Basic At-Home Senior Gym
- How to Make Stovetop Popcorn
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to New Orleans
- How to Navigate & Read Academic Articles
- Phytonutrients: What Plant Color Says About Nutrition
- How to Prevent or Reduce Inflammation
- Osteoporosis: Risk Factors, Signs, and Treatment
- How to Make Homemade Pretzels
- Researching Your Ancestry and Family Tree
- How Medicare and Social Security Work Together
- What is Nordic Walking?
- Food Questions You've Been Embarrassed to Ask
- How Medicare Changed for 2023 and Beyond
- Tips for Using a Microwave
- How to Clean Your Ears Safely
- Skiing as a Healthy Hobby for Seniors
- 3 More Great Places to Celebrate New Year's Eve
- Why Do We Celebrate That? More New Year's Eve Traditions
- Panettone, the Italian Christmas Dessert
- A Simple Homemade Gingerbread Recipe
- How to Make Christmas Decorating Jollier
- The Science of Winter Weight Gain
- Seasonal Picks: 3 Foods You Should Try This Winter
- 5 Tips to Make Getting Your Christmas Tree Stress-Free
- Show-Stopping Potato Side Dishes for Thanksgiving
- Dishes to Impress Your Friends: Boeuf Bourguignon
- Holiday Travel Tips to Reduce Stress
- Does Medicare Cover Pain Management?
- Is Hunting a Healthy Senior Hobby?
- Ways You Can Get More Politically Involved
- What are Medicare's Lifetime Reserve Days?
- Spooky Spots for Seniors Halloween 2022
- How to Make Soul Cakes for Halloween
- Jack O' Lantern Carving Tips for Halloween
- Easy Ways to Peel a Potato
- 2023 Social Security COLA Largest in Decades
- Exercise Tips for Autumn
- How to Make Candy Apples at Home
- Why are Medicare Insurance Sales Calls Recorded?
- Here's What Medicare Costs in 2023
- CMS Updates Medicare Enrollment Rules for 2023
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to London
- Does Medicare Cover Insomnia Treatment?
- Healthy and Easy Homemade Dog Treats
- The FDA Finalizes Ruling to Increase Access to Hearing Aids
- What the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Means for Medicare
- Tips to Make Flying and Airports Less Stressful
- CMS Projects Lower 2023 Part D Average Costs
- The 15 Golden Rules of Airplane Etiquette
- How Often Should You Shower?
- What are Medicare Pilot Programs?
- How to Care for Your Cast Iron Cookware
- Confronting a Loved One About Hurtful Behavior
- What Does Creditable Coverage Mean for Medicare?
- Using Za'atar in Your Cooking
- Dealing with Canceled Flights
- Protecting Your Vacation from Flight Disruptions
- Do Pre-Existing Conditions Affect Medicare Coverage?
- Which is Better: A Bath or Shower?
- Are Weight Loss Medications Healthy?
- Healthy Strategies for Anger Management
- The Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- The Difference Between Common Cooking Papers and Foils
- What are Medicare I-SNPs?
- Identifying Toxic Relationships in Your Life
- Healthy Ways to Spice Up Your Water
- All About Medicare Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans
- Medicareful Travels: A Senior Guide to All-Inclusive Resorts
- Does Medicare Cover Occupational Therapy?
- Lower 2023 Medicare Part B Premium Could Be on the Way
- Which is Better: Natural or Artificial Sweeteners?
- Tips for Vacationing with Pets
- Is It Better to Work Out Harder or Longer?
- Tips for Traveling with Your Pet
- Are Medicare Part B Giveback Plans Worth It?
- Introducing the Medicareful Living Family Cookbook!
- Medicare Coverage for Treatment of PTSD
- The Causes and Treatments of Nasal Congestion
- Dishes to Impress Your Friends: Spring Rolls
- Medicare Freezes Late Enrollment Penalties for Qualifying Enrollees
- What is a 5-Star Medicare Plan?
- What is PTSD?
- What is Inflammation?
- What is Medicare's Secondary Payer Program?
- What You Should Know When Buying Cast Iron Cookware
- What Does MACRA Mean for You?
- What to Do If You Receive a Terminal Diagnosis
- Dishes to Impress Your Friends: Homemade Lobster Ravioli
- Reading and Understanding Your Blood Pressure
- How to Be a Snowbird in Retirement (18 Questions to Ask!)