Scare? Drink water? Think about something else? Anyone who suffers from hiccups every now and then certainly knows a myriad of things that are supposed to help. But what is really true and what helps against hiccups?
You are sitting normally at work and suddenly it starts. *Hiccup* for 2-3 minutes. Without warning it starts and then soon stops again. And that even though you have not drunk or eaten anything before.
I know this all too well. Supposedly, being scared is supposed to help. As many times as this has been done to me, it's a wonder I haven't had a heart attack yet.
Hiccups, which by the way is also called singultus, are most annoying in quiet rooms. Just the other day I was sitting in the subway. It was a Saturday morning. I take a quick look at my cell phone. And: *hiccup*. Quite loudly the sounds start.
Everyone looks at me. My girlfriend starts to laugh out loud. I also have to laugh and besides I still have hiccups. Sounds very funny. I have probably brought one or the other to smile.
We get out of the car. I walk behind my girlfriend and suddenly a loud *boo* with raised arms, huge eyes and a look to fear. My heart starts to race. But that's it. As before, the hiccups torment me.
Hiccups are not always so funny. I've been known to start hiccupping suddenly and out of nowhere during exams. Dreamlike, when everyone is quiet, wants to concentrate and you gurgle to yourself. Quickly a bottle of water is rummaged out of the bag and then first drink a big gulp.
Overcome. 15 seconds later: *Hiccup*. That can't be, can it? Do you know such situations? Everyone stares at you as if you could do something about it and turn off the hiccups at the push of a button.
I tried all the supposed expert tips and found a method that answered my question: What helps against hiccups? Since then, I have it under control quite well.
But first, you should know how hiccups occur in the first place.
Table of contents
The possible causes of hiccups are:
- Very cold or hot food or even drinks
- Hasty eating, drinking or smoking
- Nervousness and excitement
- Eat too much
When you eat very cold food and drink, it irritates your stomach and also your diaphragm. This promotes hiccups. So if you are prone to hiccups, you should always eat ice cream and ice-cold drinks in small bites and sips. It is best to let them thaw a little beforehand.
The same applies to very hot foods. Soups, teas and coffee should be left to cool.
When you have stress while eating and drinking, you often swallow a lot of air as well. This is another reason why you can tend to hiccup. An overfull stomach then presses on the diaphragm and the hiccups begin.
If you have hiccups very often, you should rethink the size of your meals. Eat more small meals than 3 really big ones. And do not forget to chew properly.
These are the most common home remedies for hiccups
Normally, the hiccups will pass when your diaphragm has calmed down. However, this can sometimes take a relatively long time and there are situations in which every single hiccup is unpleasant.
There are so many tips that are supposed to help. Unfortunately, you often need acrobatic knowledge for this, the tips do not work or are not suitable for everyday use. I have tested them all. :)
What helps against hiccups? My conclusion on the most common tips:
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Drinking a glass of water upside down
For me, hiccups usually occur when I'm either at work or on the road. So standing upside down against the wall in the subway and drinking a glass of water is anything but suitable.
I tried it anyway. For 14 days I had a mat in the office to be ready for immediate use.
My conclusion: I poured water on myself and the mat. Besides, I almost fell over. I will do without this tip against hiccups in the future. Absolutely unsuitable for everyday life. And unfortunately it didn't help me either. *Hiccup -
Cover the ears with both thumbs. At the same time, squeeze the nostrils with the little fingers. With closed lips, inflate the cheeks.
What? I had to read this tip 3 times to get it right.
Looks pretty strange is not too nice to look at in public. By the way, with slightly longer nails there is also a risk of injury. Like a chipmunk I sit on my chair. I wait concentrated and look forward - 10 seconds nothing. 20 second nothing. This is a tip that really works. In the subway, at the university or at work, however, rather not suitable. -
Drink vinegar
Eww, no thanks! Vinegar only goes on the salad. I would never think of drinking vinegar. I'd rather have hiccups than the feeling of having to throw up. My stomach is very sensitive to vinegar. So I voluntarily left out this tip against hiccups. And let's be honest: Who has vinegar in their handbag when they're out somewhere?
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Breathe into a paper bag
This is to increase the carbon dioxide content in the blood. The plan is that this will fight the hiccups.
That sounds good. I've had a paper bag in my pocket for 2 weeks. The problem is that if you store it normally in your handbag, it quickly gets broken. Once the bag has holes, the tip no longer works.
*Hiccup* I grab the bag and breathe in. Already after the first 2 breaths I notice how the oxygen content in the bag drops. And lo and behold, the hiccups are gone. :) Attention: If it doesn't work after 5 breaths: Interrupt! If you do this for too long, you risk fainting. Granted - the hiccups are gone then. But there are certainly better ways :)
Thumbs up for this tip. However, I almost never have a paper bag with me. At the university and in the public transport I would not breathe into a bag. Since everyone thinks that sniffs at the glue :D -
Hold your breath
Probably the best known and certainly the oldest tip against hiccups. It never works for me. As with breathing into a bag, the carbon dioxide content in the blood should be increased. This calms the phrenic nerve and the hiccups stop. At least that is the plan. With me it looks something like this: With so little breathing, my face gets red, my eyes get big, and the hiccups get even louder. It sounds as if it is fighting for survival. As soon as I catch my breath again, the hiccups continue loudly.
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Drink water
Have a drink first! My friends mean well or they are annoyed by me - I can't really judge. From few big gulps to many small gulps - their expertise is great. And so is my hiccuping. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for me at all. Neither with many, few, small or large hiccups can my hiccups be fought. -
Scare
I've already proven several times that this doesn't work. Apart from heart palpitations and fear of the next *boo*, all I have left is my hiccups.
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Cover eyes
I had never heard of this before doing my research. For this tip against hiccups, you need to shoot your eyes and press gently on your eyelids with your fingertips. This will make your pulse rate and breathing calmer. This relaxation should cause your hiccups to go away.
Attention: You should not do this for longer than 15 seconds. Otherwise you might get sick. -
Ice cubes on the larynx
Supposedly works wonders, but is not very suitable for everyday use. Coat your larynx with ice cubes. This is supposed to interrupt the hiccup reflex. This trick is the next one I'm going to test. However, since my hiccups always occur at work or on the go, I haven't had a chance to do it yet.
What helps against hiccups? That always works for me!
Leaning over drinking water
This is the only true tip for hiccups at work or at home. However, it is not suitable for public transport either. As soon as the big hiccup starts, grab a glass of tap water. Stand up and hold it at chest level. Instead of drinking normally from the rim of the glass, bend your head over the glass and drink from the rim, the opposite side.
Does not look very sexy, but works great. :)
And do you know why? This movement irritates part of your autonomic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system. The nerves report this to your hiccup center in the brain and the hiccup is over.
What is the meaning of hiccups?
Yes, we are probably all asking ourselves that. Even scientists could not answer this question for a long time. According to new findings, hiccups are said to be a remnant of gill breathing.
Supposedly, the part of the brain responsible for gill breathing movements has been preserved for millions of years. Researchers assume that hiccups help babies suck. This is because the process of hiccups is the same as for babies who are breastfeeding.
My conclusion:
If you regularly struggle with hiccups, you know all too well the annoyed looks from your sitting and standing neighbors. Don't let them get you down. It's not your fault. Try my trick with the glass - it has never let me down.
It supposedly has something to do with gill breathing. So maybe you are a mermaid and don't know it yet :)
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