7 Ways To Get Rid Of Hiccups Once And For All | Ear, Nose, Throat, and Dental problems slideshows | Body & Health Conditions center

Cause Of Hiccups

Certain conditions are associated with a higher risk of developing hiccups. Eating too much food, irritation of the phrenic nerve due to eating hot food, gas and bloating in the stomach that pushes against the diaphragm, eating food too quickly, certain medications, and medical conditions can cause hiccups. Medications that cause hiccups are opiates, benzodiazepines, anesthesia, corticosteroids, and barbiturates. Medical conditions that can cause hiccups are inflammatory bowel disease, small bowel obstruction, and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), respiratory conditions including asthma and pneumonia, diabetes, and anxiety. Other conditions that may affect the central nervous system and cause hiccups are encephalitis, brain tumor, stroke, and traumatic brain injuries. Meningitis, goiter, or pharyngitis can cause hiccups.

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www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9896.php

Inhale, Hold Your Breath For 10 Seconds, Exhale

Involuntary contractions of the diaphragm cause hiccups. The vocal cords close after each contraction, which causes the ‘hic’ sound. Bouts of hiccups are a nuisance but mostly go away quickly. Hiccups that continue longer may require treatment as they may be an indication of an underlying medical condition. Medical treatment as well as home remedies can be effective in relieving hiccups, although there is no exact treatment that works for everyone. Breathing is a common remedy for hiccups. Inhale and hold your breath for 10 seconds, then exhale. Repeat this action a few times and relax. You should get relief from the hiccups.

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Photo courtesy of Charles Williams by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/charlesonflickr/364271060/
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9896.php
http://www.livestrong.com/article/528103-hiccup-relief/

Breath Into A Paper Bag

Hiccups can be triggered due to a number of reasons. Eating too fast, swallowing food or liquids rapidly, drinking too much alcohol are all reasons that can cause hiccups. There are many popular home remedies for relieving hiccups. One of them is to breathe in and out of a paper bag. Hold a paper bag close to your mouth and nose and breathe in and out into the bag 10 times. Try to breathe more rapidly than you would normally breathe. The carbon dioxide level in the blood is raised, which calms the nerve and muscle irritation that is causing hiccups. Repeat the process until you feel comfortable. If you feel faint or uncomfortable, stop breathing into the bag immediately. Do not use a plastic bag because it can cling to your nostrils causing discomfort.

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Photo courtesy of a.dombrowski by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/adombrowski/5032710844/
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9896.php
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA363387/got-the-hiccups.html

Gargle With Ice Water

Everyone who has had a bout of hiccups knows it is very annoying and bothersome. Most of the time, the hiccups goes away on its own, but it can be serious enough to warrant some form of treatment, either medical treatment or tested natural remedies that can be easily done in the comfort of your home or wherever you may be at the time. One of the common home remedies to treat hiccups is to gargle with ice-cold water. Sip the ice-cold water slowly and gargle by tilting your head backwards and sideways. The movement of water in and around the throat causes a drop in temperature in the esophagus and vagus nerve. Calming the nerves can stop the diaphragmatic spasms that trigger the hiccups.

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Swallow A Teaspoon Of Sugar

Have you noticed that if you have a bout of hiccups everyone suggests some remedy or the other? Most of these natural remedies work and have been tried for a long time. Some of the suggestions may sound weird, but surprisingly they work most of the time and the person finds relief from hiccups. One of the most effective and non-medical remedies to cure hiccups is eating sugar. Take a spoonful of sugar and swallow it. The vagus nerve that sends sensory information to the brain is triggered by another sensation, the sugar. When the sugar touches the surface of the tongue, the nerve stops sending signals for hiccups to the brain, and instead signals your brain that you ate sugar. This stops hiccups in most people.

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Photo courtesy of samantha celera by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/scelera/5724844778/
www.mastersinhealthcare.net/blog/2010/11-ways-to-get-rid-of-hiccups/
http://www.omg-facts.com/Science/Sugar-Cures-The-Hiccups-19-20-Times/53816

Pull Out Your Tongue

Among the many natural remedies that are suggested for stopping hiccups, sticking your tongue out is one effective way to stop the hiccups. It may be embarrassing to stick your tongue out, but in this situation, the action will bring relief almost immediately and you will be rid of the hiccups. Use your fingers and pull your tongue out, almost tugging it. You can hold it briefly and will soon notice that the hiccups will subside. This process works in the same way as drinking water, gargling with ice-cold water, and swallowing sugar. The diaphragmatic spasms cease when the vagus nerve is stimulated, which stops the hiccups.

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www.mastersinhealthcare.net/blog/2010/11-ways-to-get-rid-of-hiccups/

Drink From Opposite Side Of The Glass

Hiccups can be embarrassing when they occur at the most inconvenient times. You might have to resort to some quick natural remedies to get rid off the hiccups. Drinking water, gargling with ice-cold water is just a few easy solutions to relief. When drinking liquids, the rhythmic motion of the esophagus overrides the diaphragmatic spasms, and gets rid of the hiccups. An unusual remedy that brings relief from hiccups to many people is drinking water from the far-side rim of a glass, i.e. the opposite side of the glass. To try this technique, stand up and bend over while placing your mouth on the far side of the glass. While bending, tilt the glass away from you and continue to drink. It might require an entire glass of water and about 30 seconds for the hiccups to ease. An explanation for this unusual remedy is that while you bend and try to drink your concentration on performing this strange feat acts to restrict the spasms that cause hiccups. The esophagus and glottis might be calmed by the act of drinking that send out new nerve messages replacing the hiccup reflex.

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Photo courtesy of Masaaki Komori by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/h4ck/3221986177/
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9896.php
http://www.doctoryourself.com/hiccup.html

Plug Your Ears

Most of the home remedies to stop hiccups are based on the science of the hiccups. Relaxing the diaphragm tends to be the most effective way of stopping hiccups. As we have seen earlier, swallowing sugar, breathing into a paper bag, and gargling with ice-cold water stop hiccups. A popular home remedy to stop hiccups is plugging both ears. Ask someone to plug both your ears by applying pressure (not too much to cause discomfort). Then, drink a glass of water with your ears plugged. If you do not have anyone around you, drink water through a straw while you plug both ears. How this works is anyone’s guess, but it surely works for most people.