How long hiccups last
26 Remedies That Can Actually Help
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Almost everyone’s had hiccups at one time or another. While hiccups usually go away on their own within a few minutes, they can be annoying and interfere with eating and talking.
People have come up with an endless list of tricks to get rid of them, from breathing into a paper bag to eating a spoonful of sugar. But which remedies actually work?
There aren’t many studies that evaluate the effectiveness of different hiccup remedies. However, many of them are backed by centuries of anecdotal evidence. In addition, some of the most popular remedies actually stimulate your vagus or phrenic nerves, which are connected to your diaphragm.
Read on to learn about the most popular and effective ways to get rid of hiccups.
Causes
Hiccups happen when your diaphragm begins to spasm involuntarily. Your diaphragm is a large muscle that helps you breathe in and out. When it spasms, you inhale suddenly and your vocal cords snap shut, which causes a distinctive sound.
In most cases, they come and go quickly. Lifestyle factors that may cause hiccups include:
- eating too much or too quickly
- carbonated drinks
- spicy foods
- being stressed or emotionally excited
- drinking alcohol
- being exposed to quick changes in temperature
Getting rid of hiccups
These tips are meant for short bouts of hiccups. If you have chronic hiccups that last for more than 48 hours, talk with your doctor. This may be a sign of an underlying condition requiring treatment.
Breathing and posture techniques
Sometimes, a simple change in your breathing or posture can relax your diaphragm.
1. Practice measured breathing. Disrupt your respiratory system with slow, measured breathing. Breathe in for a count of five and out for a count of five.
2. Hold your breath. Inhale a large gulp of air and hold it for about 10 to 20 seconds, then breathe out slowly. Repeat as necessary.
3. Breathe into a paper bag. Place a paper lunch bag over your mouth and nose. Slowly breathe in and out, deflating and inflating the bag. Never use a plastic bag.
4. Hug your knees. Sit down in a comfortable place. Bring your knees to your chest and hold them there for two minutes.
5. Compress your chest. Lean or bend forward to compress your chest, which puts pressure on your diaphragm.
6. Use the Valsalva maneuver. To do this maneuver, try to exhale while pinching your nose and keeping your mouth closed.
Pressure points
Pressure points are areas of your body that are particularly sensitive to pressure. Applying pressure to these points with your hands may help to relax your diaphragm or stimulate your vagus or phrenic nerves.
7. Pull on your tongue. Pulling on your tongue stimulates the nerves and muscles in your throat. Grab the tip of your tongue and gently pull it forward once or twice.
8. Press on your diaphragm. Your diaphragm separates your abdomen from your lungs. Use your hand to apply pressure to the area just below the end of your sternum.
9. Squeeze your nose closed while swallowing water.
10. Squeeze your palm. Use your thumb to apply pressure to the palm of your other hand.
11. Massage your carotid artery. You have a carotid artery on both sides of your neck. It’s what you feel when you check your pulse by touching your neck. Lie down, turn your head to the left, and massage the artery on the right side in a circular motion for 5 to 10 seconds.
Things to eat or drink
Eating certain things or changing the way you drink may also help to stimulate your vagus or phrenic nerves.
12. Drink ice water. Slowly sipping cold water may help stimulate the vagus nerve.
13. Drink from the opposite side of the glass. Tip the glass up under your chin to drink from the far side.
14. Slowly drink a glass of warm water without stopping to breathe.
15. Drink water through a cloth or paper towel. Cover a glass of cold water with a cloth or paper towel and sip through it.
16. Suck on an ice cube. Suck on the ice cube for a few minutes, then swallow it once it shrinks to a reasonable size.
17. Gargle ice water. Gargle ice water for 30 seconds. Repeat as necessary.
18. Eat a spoonful of honey or peanut butter. Allow it to dissolve in your mouth a bit before swallowing.
19. Eat some sugar. Put a pinch of granulated sugar on your tongue and let it sit there for 5 to 10 seconds, then swallow.
20.
Suck on a lemon. Some people add a bit of salt to their lemon slice. Rinse out your mouth with water to protect your teeth from the citric acid.
21. Put a drop of vinegar on your tongue.
Unusual but proven adult methods
You might not be familiar with these methods, but both are backed by scientific case studies.
22. Have an orgasm. There’s an old case study involving a man whose hiccups lasted for four days. They immediately went away after he had an orgasm.
23. Perform a rectal massage. Another case study reports that a man with ongoing hiccups found immediate relief after a rectal massage. Using a rubber glove and plenty of lubricant, insert a finger into the rectum and massage.
Other remedies
Here are a few other enduring remedies you can try.
24. Tap or rub the back of your neck. Rubbing the skin at the back of your neck may stimulate your phrenic nerve.
25.
Poke the back of your throat with a cotton swab Gently swab the back of your throat with a cotton swab until you gag or cough. Your gag reflex may stimulate the vagal nerve.
26. Distract yourself with something engaging. Hiccups often go away on their own when you stop focusing on them. Play a video game, fill out a crossword puzzle, or do some calculations in your head.
When to see a doctor
Most cases of the hiccups go away within a few minutes or hours. If you regularly get hiccups or have hiccups that last for more than two days, talk with your doctor. Your hiccups could be a sign of an underlying condition, such as:
- gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
- stroke
- multiple sclerosis
In addition, some cases of hiccups are more stubborn than others. When this happens, your doctor might prescribe medication to help them stop. Common medications for chronic hiccups include:
- baclofen (Gablofen)
- chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
- metoclopramide (Reglan)
Preventing hiccups
Common cases of hiccups that are triggered by lifestyle factors can usually be prevented by making some changes in your habits.
If you notice certain behaviors are causing your hiccups here are some things to try:
- eat smaller amounts per serving
- eat slower
- avoid spicy foods
- drink less alcohol
- avoid carbonated drinks
- practice relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation to reduce stress
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Toddler Hiccups: Natural Remedies
Toddler Hiccups: Natural RemediesMedically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D. — By Tiffany R. Jansen on May 16, 2018
What are hiccups?
Hiccups, or singultuses, are the repetitive diaphragmatic spasms we all love to hate.
They can strike anyone, anytime, at any age — even infants in utero. They come without warning and can last anywhere from a couple minutes to a few hours.
What are hiccups and how do they happen?
The diaphragm is the muscle between the chest and the abdomen that regulates breathing. When the diaphragm contracts, the lungs expand and are filled with oxygen.
When the diaphragm relaxes, carbon dioxide exits the lungs.
Events that can cause the diaphragm to contract involuntarily and repeatedly include:
- swallowing too much air
- eating large meals
- drinking carbonated beverages
- sudden changes in body or environmental temperature
- emotional stress
- excitement
These spasms cause the vocal cords to close abruptly, resulting in a sudden gush of air entering the lungs. That chain reaction is responsible for the all too familiar gasping sound that gave the condition its common name: hiccup!
Toddlers are more prone to the hiccups. “Because the control mechanisms for reflexes are not completely settled yet, nerve impulses can be confused by conflicting signals in toddlers,” explains Christopher Hobbs, PhD, LAc, AHG.
What are some safe remedies for my toddler?
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Hiccups typically go away on their own after a few minutes. But there are a few all-natural remedies you can try if your toddler has the hiccups.
- Chamomile, fennel, or peppermint tea. Chamomile, fennel, and peppermint are some of the best and safest herbs for relieving the muscle spasms that cause hiccups, according to Dr. Hobbs. He recommends using a dropper to squeeze small amounts of the warm tea into your toddler’s mouth. Repeat until the hiccups stop.
- Light pressure on the upper stomach. Gently press on your child’s upper stomach area in quick downward movements. Time each movement to coincide with the hiccup. This can be tricky given the unpredictability of hiccups. Dr. Hobbs stresses keeping the pressure light when dealing with toddlers.
- Focus on breathing. There are a number of remedies that involve the breath, like breathing into a paper bag and holding your breath for as long as you can. One way to stop them is to “inhale forcefully through the mouth at the same time the hiccup occurs,” says Dr. Hobbs. This counteracts the spasm as it occurs.
- Bring on the tickles. This is a gentler alternative to the scare tactic that frequently comes up as a hiccup cure. It will take your toddler’s mind off of their hiccups, which is usually all it takes to make them go away. Just be sure to back off immediately if your toddler tells you to stop.
- Drink cold water. Sipping on a glass of cold water may sooth an irritated diaphragm so it can return to its normal movement pattern.
What not to do
There are some remedies you want to avoid. Especially when young children are concerned.
- Don’t give your toddler cayenne water. Spicy food can get rid of the hiccups, but it can also induce hiccups or make them worse. “Kids usually don’t appreciate hot peppers at all, and it can even make them quite upset,” says Dr. Hobbs.
- Don’t scare the wits out of your kid. A good fright is a popular suggestion for getting rid of the hiccups.
However, you don’t want to traumatize your child. If you do go this route, make it more about the element of surprise and less about scaring the daylights out of your child. - Don’t have your child drink while upside down. Drinking something while hanging upside down is another popular hiccup remedy. However, it could cause choking and is best avoided.
What if the hiccups don’t go away?
In general, hiccups only last about an hour or two at most. But there have been cases where the hiccups have gone on for much longer.
If hiccups persist for more than 48 hours or if they begin to interfere with eating, sleeping, or breathing, see your doctor immediately. They may be able to prescribe something to alleviate the hiccups.
Persistent hiccups in adults can also be a sign of nerve damage or irritation, or central nervous system or metabolic disorders, according to the Mayo Clinic, but this is extremely rare in children.
The takeaway
Bear in mind that none of these remedies have been scientifically proven.
According to a study published in the Journal of the National Medical Association, none of the techniques used over the five-year study were found to be effective in treating the hiccups.
Should the hiccups last longer than 48 hours or lead to difficulties breathing, sleeping, or eating, see your doctor right away.
Hiccups are self-limiting and should disappear on their own after a few minutes to a few hours. So, unless they last longer than 48 hours or lead to difficulties breathing, sleeping, or eating, it’s best to simply see it for what it is: an annoying but harmless bout of hiccups!
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Last medically reviewed on May 17, 2018
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- Toddler
How we vetted this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- Cymet TC. (2002). Retrospective analysis of hiccups in patients at a community hospital from 1995-2000.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2594386/ - Hobbs CH, et al. (2013). Grow it; heal it: Natural and effective herbal remedies from your garden or windowsill.New York, New York: Rodale.
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Hiccups.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiccups/basics/definition/con-20031471
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version
May 17, 2018
By
Tiffany R. Jansen
Edited By
Nizam Khan (TechSpace)
Medically Reviewed By
Karen Richardson Gill, MD
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Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D. — By Tiffany R. Jansen on May 16, 2018
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5 ways to stop hiccuping
April 27, 2022
Hiccups - our innate reflex, which can sometimes take you by surprise in the wrong place and at the wrong time.
Most often, it is enough to be distracted, and the problem will go away by itself, but what if there is no way to wait? We share the easiest ways to deal with hiccups.
A person begins to hiccup due to convulsive contraction of the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm, an organ involved in the breathing process. At this moment, a spontaneous sharp breath occurs, but the airways are blocked by the epiglottis, and we hear “hic”.
But why does spasm occur? It's all about the vagus nerve - the most important "information channel" of our body. It passes from the brain to the internal organs through the esophagus and a narrow opening in the diaphragm, regulating the processes of digestion, blood circulation, respiration and other systems.
Hiccups appear due to irritation or compression of the vagus nerve. This can happen due to air entering the stomach, swallowing too large pieces of food, or, for example, due to an uncomfortable posture.
Damage to the vagus nerve is fraught with serious consequences for the entire body, therefore, in order to protect itself, it causes rhythmic contractions of the diaphragm.
There are a lot of irritants that can “disturb” the vagus nerve, these include:
- carbonated drinks,
- hot or cold food,
- eating in a hurry,
- full stomach,
- swallowing air when laughing,
- stress, fear,
- alcohol.
In addition, hiccups can be the result of a pathological process in the body: inflammation, metabolic disorders, tumors, etc. Such hiccups may not go away for several hours, days or even months. In this case, you should definitely consult a doctor.
How to stop hiccuping?
Physiological hiccups are not harmful to health, they usually last no more than half an hour and pass on their own, but sometimes an attack occurs at the most inopportune moment: before an important meeting or on a date.
What to do?
To stop hiccuping, it is necessary to remove the spasm of the diaphragm, this can be done in two ways:
- Increase the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. This method directly affects the work of the respiratory center in the human brain: in order for more oxygen to enter, the diaphragm will shrink deeper, which will relieve spasm.
- Stimulate the vagus nerve. In order for the hiccups to stop, you just need to “switch the attention” of the nerve to some kind of irritant.
5 easiest ways to stop hiccuping:
- Hold your breath. This method is convenient in that it can be applied anywhere and at any time. It usually helps with hiccups caused by stress. Just hold your breath for 10-20 seconds, exhale slowly and repeat this exercise several times.
- Show tongue. Find a quiet place to try this method. It is necessary to stick out the tongue as much as possible and stay in this position for a while.
You can also try to put pressure on the root of the tongue - for the vagus nerve, the gag reflex is "more important" than hiccups, so this method is very effective. - Drink water. Ideally, you should drink water through a straw, but if it is not at hand, then you can drink a glass of water in small sips. The water must be cold. Frequent contractions of the esophagus will "distract" the vagus nerve.
- Irritate your taste buds. For these purposes, a slice of lemon, a pinch of salt or sugar is suitable. Hold the "irritant" in your mouth for a while.
- Plug your ears. Pinch your ears with your fingers for 20-30 seconds or apply pressure to the soft area behind the earlobes. For the best effect, you can simultaneously drink water in small sips through a straw.
In most cases, hiccups do not require a visit to the doctor, but if it bothers you too often or does not go away for a long time, do not ignore this symptom.
How to get rid of hiccups easily and quickly
June 1, 2020LikbezHealth
Eat a lemon, have sex or breathe into a bag.
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0Where Hiccups Come From
Hiccups Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and plays a vital role in breathing.
The movements of the diaphragm are controlled by the brain. Sometimes he gives incorrect signals, causing her to contract faster than necessary. With each spasm, the muscle presses on the lungs and pushes air out of them. It passes under pressure through the larynx and closes the glottis and epiglottis. This process is accompanied by a characteristic sound. Spasms are repeated, hiccups occur.
Physiologists do not always understand what exactly causes diaphragmatic contractions. There are many possible reasons: from accidental swallowing of air to dangerous diseases of the nervous system.
Robert Provine
neuroscientist, author of Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccups, commentary to Vox
We still don't really know where hiccups come from.
Therefore, her therapy has not improved since Plato The mysterious science of hiccups: why we get them and how to stop them.
However, whatever causes hiccups can be stopped with simple methods.
Reading now 🔥
- What to do if the temperature persists at 37 ° C
How to get rid of hiccups
Most ways to quickly stop respiratory spasms have one of two goals Hiccups: a common problem with some unusual causes and cures:
- Increase carbon dioxide concentration Why Do You Get Hiccups? (And How to Stop Them) in the lungs and blood. Feeling the threat of suffocation, the body quickly recovers and normalizes the work of the diaphragm.
- Stimulate the vagus nerve. It links the brain and the digestive system and is also involved in the process of respiration. Stimulation causes the brain to switch to new sensations and stop transmitting incorrect signals to the diaphragm.
Choose any option you like.
And move on to another if the previous one didn't work.
Hold your breath
Take a deep breath and hold it for 10-20 seconds. Then exhale slowly. Repeat if necessary.
Breathe into a paper bag
Take a small paper (not plastic!) bag and cover your nose and mouth with it. Slowly exhale and inhale so that the bag inflates and deflates. Continue for 15 seconds.
Breathe slowly.
Inhale deeply, counting to five, and exhale in the same way. Do 5-7 reps.
Embrace your knees
Find a place where you can sit comfortably and raise your knees to chest level. Wrap your arms around your legs and try to pull them closer to your body while leaning forward Hiccups. Sit in this position for 20-30 seconds.
Drink a glass of cold water
Do it quickly. To stimulate the vagus nerve even more effectively, you can drink through a straw, plugging your ears with your fingers, pressing on your closed eyes, or squeezing the wings of your nose.
Suck on an ice cube
Suck it on for a few minutes. And swallow when it shrinks to a small size.
Eat something with a strong taste
For example, a slice of lemon or a tomato seasoned generously with vinegar.
Try to induce a gag reflex
This can be done by pressing the Hiccup with your fingers or a spoon on the base (root) of the tongue. The inevitable spasm of the esophagus will stop the contractions of the diaphragm.
Stick out your tongue as far as you can
To be sure, pull it out and down with your fingers. This will also put pressure on the root of the tongue and provoke a spasm of the esophagus.
Put sugar on the tongue
Approximately a teaspoon, trying to place the crystals as close as possible to the root of the tongue. Let the sand dissolve or do not swallow for at least 5-10 seconds.
Inhale something with a strong smell
Ammonia or ammonia will do.
Massage the carotid artery
It lies on both sides of the neck.
This is the paired artery that you press with your fingers when you try to feel for a pulse under the lower jaw.
Lie on your back, turn your head to the left How to Get Rid of Hiccups and massage the artery on the right side in a circular motion for 5-10 seconds.
Do a rectal massage
Just put your finger in the anus. This non-standard method was discovered by doctors at the Bnei Zion Medical Center (Haifa, Israel). This is how they stopped Termination of Intractable Hiccups With Digital Rectal Massage from persistent hiccups in a 60 year old patient.
In 2006, doctors even received the Ig Nobel Prize for their discovery The 2006 Ig Nobel Prize Winners.
Have sex
Francis Fesmire, the physician who published the first study on the benefits of rectal massage, later said that he would have advised sex instead of a finger in the anus.
Francis M. Fesmire
emergency medicine specialist, commenting to the New Scientist
Orgasm results in incredible stimulation of the vagus nerve.
