7 Quick Cures for Hiccups

[Shadia Afrin Brishti]

1.Swallow something sweet.
A spoonful of sugar is popular because its graininess could slightly irritate the esophagus, causing the phrenic nerves to "reset" themselves, although there is no proof of this.

2....Or something sour.
Take a teaspoonful of vinegar. Its sour taste could stop a hiccup in its tracks.

3. Sip some hot sauce.
This probably works because the heat and burn are distracting enough to turn your body's focus on the burn, instead of the hiccup process.

4. Enjoy a little honey.
Put 1 teaspoon of honey, stirred in warm water, on the back of your tongue, and swallow it. Like dill, honey could potentially tickle the vagus nerve to make the hiccups stop.

5.Yummy chocolate remedy.
Eat some powdered chocolate drink mix (cocoa or Ovaltine) right off the spoon. Swallowing the spoonful isn't easy and should short-circuit the hiccups.

6. Brown bag 'em.
Breathe slowly and deeply into a small paper bag. (Stop if you feel light-headed.) This increases the carbon dioxide level in the blood and makes the diaphragm contract more deeply to bring in more oxygen, which may stop the spasms.

7. Try the paper towel trick.
Place a single layer of paper towel over the top of a glass, then drink through the towel. You'll have to "pull" harder with your diaphragm to suck up the water, and concentrated gulping counteracts spasmodic muscle movements.