Hiccups Causes, Home Remedies, and Medical Treatment

Hiccups are one of the most embarrassing problems one can have in public. It's a totally involuntary and hard to explain. The reason we hiccup is not known, though we do know that it is a sort of reflex action. Most people can get the hiccups; including unborn infants in the last trimester of pregnancy.

What happens in a hiccup is a sudden contraction of the diaphragm and the muscles between the ribs. You draw in a breath involuntarily and then the glottis snaps closed with an audible sound.

While we don't know why we hiccup, we do know a few things that can cause them. Most of them are unsurprising: emotional stress, excitement, an overstretched stomach (this can be caused by overeating, drinking carbonated beverages and swallowing air, abrupt changes of temperature (like when drinking a hot beverage), alcohol and smoking can all lead to a bout of the hiccups.

Here's where it gets interesting...is there a cure? It really depends on who you ask. Most of the methods come from one of two ideas. Stimulate the nerve affecting the diaphragm or increasing the carbon dioxide levels in the blood. Here are a few, most of which you've probably heard.

Hold your breath (the one I use most)

Drink water (or other beverage) This one makes me nervous, as it would be easy to chock on it should a hiccup occur during swallowing. It's not fun to cough and hiccup at the same time.

Breathe in a paper bag: If I'm around one and they're particularly annoying I'll use it, but who has one handy when they start?

These next few have been published in various medical journals as potential cures for the hiccups.

Eat a tablespoon of granulated sugar: For some, this may be a good idea. However, if you are diabetic it's not such a good idea. Also, bear in mind the choking issue with the water...

Gargle with Cold Water: I could see it working, but choking hazard once again.

Suck on a Lemon Wedge Soaked in Bitters: I could see this working, but you might want to brush your teeth afterwards to prevent damage to your tooth enamel.

Pull on your tongue: It sounds weird, but next time I have the hiccups, I think I'll try it.

I suspect that in most cases, the best cure for hiccups is time. Bear in mind that usually hiccups are a nuisance problem, but there are times when you might need to see the doctor. One of them is prolonged hiccups.