Hiccups always come at the worst times. Whether you’re in the middle of a test, at the library, or in an interview or a business meeting, they always seem to interrupt at the worst time possible. Interestingly enough, doctors have a medical name for hiccups. They’re known as synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF) or singultus. A hiccup happens when you have a sudden, involuntary contraction of your diaphragm. Once your diaphragm contracts quickly, it will cause the air to be sucked in, snapping the vocal cord shut and making the “hiccup” sound. They normally go away after a few minutes, but if they persist forย 48 hours you should see your doctor to see if there’s an underlying reason for your hiccups!
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There are many reasons why you might be getting hiccups. It has been connected to bloating, inhaling too quickly, eating or drinking too much, inhaling smoke and even anxiety or stress. Most times hiccups go away on their own but sometimes you need them to go away quickly!ย Here are a few ways to get rid of your annoying hiccups.ย (via Foxย andย Medical News Today)
Breathe into a paper bag.ย Each time you breathe in your body is taking back the carbon dioxide you exhaled. This helps to calm down your hiccups because it increases the CO2 levels in your bloodstream.
Hold your breath.ย This works similar to the paper bag. Taking and holding a deep breath keeps you from ridding your body of the carbon dioxide waste.
Jog in place.ย A small amount of exercise allows your body to take in more oxygen. It then combines with other nutrients to give your body energy, which then produces more CO2.
Do breathing exercises.ย Breathe in, hold it for 10 seconds and then breathe out slowly. Repeat this three or four times every 20 minutes until your hiccups are gone.
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Gargle with ice water.ย Grab a water, throw some ice in it and gargle away!
Press your chest gently.ย Press your hand down on your chest, focusing on your diaphragm.ย
Suck on a lemon.ย Don’t worry, you don’t need a big chunk of lemon. Just take a thin sliceย of lemon, place it on your tongue and suck on it like a piece of candy.
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Put pressure on your nose.ย When you swallow, gently press down down on your nose. This will help your body keep the CO2 in your system.
Sip cold water slowly.ย Instead of gargling, this timeย slowly sip it.
Put sugar in your mouth!ย You might have heard that old wives tale that eating sugar can help with hiccups. It actually does help, but you don’t eat it. Instead, you put the sugar on your tongue, wait for it to melt and then swallow.
Pull your tongue.ย Take the end of your tongue with your fingers and pull. This will stimulate your vagus nerve to ease your diaphragm spasms and help stop your hiccups!
Stick your fingers in your ears!ย Try sticking your fingers in your ears for about 20 to 30 seconds. Or if you’re in public, try pressing the soft areas behind your earlobes. This sends a “relax” signal to your brain to help relax your diaphragm.
Drink a glass of warm water.ย Instead of cold water, now try warm water. Drink it very slowly and without breathing.
