{"id":13853,"date":"2021-08-15T22:00:48","date_gmt":"2021-08-16T03:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=13853"},"modified":"2021-08-15T21:47:01","modified_gmt":"2021-08-16T02:47:01","slug":"stopping-and-preventing-hiccups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/stopping-and-preventing-hiccups\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s the scoop on stopping and preventing hiccups"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

See your primary care provider.<\/p>\n

Get relief<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

So, you have the hiccups. They\u2019re driving you crazy. Someone suggests a remedy \u2013 stand on your head, hold your breath or breathe into a paper bag.<\/p>\n

Stop rolling your eyes. Some of those goofy-sounding home remedies actually work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s the old-wives\u2019 tale that if someone suddenly scares you, you\u2019ll snap out of the hiccups. There\u2019s no rigorous scientific study to back that up,\u201d said Omar Khokhar, MD,<\/a> a gastroenterologist<\/a> and president of the medical staff at OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center<\/a> in Bloomington, Illinois.<\/p>\n

Then, Dr. Khokhar smiled and added, \u201cBut \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

But? But what?<\/p>\n

\u201cHiccups are an involuntary retraction of the diaphragm, which helps control your breathing. So, anything you do to reboot your diaphragm isn\u2019t going to hurt anything, and it could help,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What triggers hiccups<\/h2>\n

The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle below your lungs. When it contracts, air is drawn into the lungs. When it relaxes, air is pushed out. Usually, those contractions and relaxations occur in an even, controlled rhythm.<\/p>\n

When that rhythm is interrupted by an involuntary contraction, your vocal cords suddenly close and produce a hiccup.<\/p>\n

\u201cLots of things can trigger a contraction of your diaphragm: carbonated beverages, alcohol, emotional stress, swallowing air,\u201d Dr. Khokhar said.<\/p>\n

Swallowing air?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s known as aerophagia<\/a>. You ever try to sip that last bit of soda out of a cup with a straw? You don\u2019t get a lot of soda, but you get a lot of air. That can trigger your diaphragm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why home remedies work<\/h2>\n

Because the cause of hiccups is relatively simple, most solutions are, too. If you\u2019ve had hiccups, you\u2019ve probably heard of some: swallow fast three times, splash cold water on your face, press your right thumb into your left palm and hold it there for 20 seconds. Or imitate a certain rock star and stick your tongue out as far as you can for 10 seconds.<\/p>\n

There are more. All of them are rooted in the same premise.<\/p>\n

\u201cIgnore the hiccups, focus on something else and you\u2019ll often snap out of it,\u201d Dr. Khokhar said. \u201cA change of scenery can do it. Walk into another room. Play a game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Or even get a friend to scare the hiccups out of you. Same deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if that doesn\u2019t work, focus on purposeful breathing for a few minutes,\u201d Dr. Khokhar said. \u201cTake deep breaths and maybe do some side stretches. Pay more attention to your breathing \u2013 in through your nose, out through your mouth \u2013 and realize to some degree you can reassert control over your diaphragm.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to prevent hiccups<\/h2>\n

The best way to deal with hiccups is to prevent them from happening in the first place. A few simple lifestyle changes can help a lot. Think about what, when and how you eat and drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people pop six diet sodas a day. If you\u2019re hiccupping, that\u2019s why,\u201d Dr. Khokhar said. \u201cIf you drink four coffees before 9 a.m., calm down. You don\u2019t need that much, and it probably hurts you. If you\u2019re having six or seven drinks at night and hiccup, back off the alcohol. If you have a big bowl of pasta and then kick back in the recliner to watch the Cubs game, that\u2019s not a good idea either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which? The pasta, the recliner or the Cubs game? Oh, never mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn general, we eat and drink the wrong way,\u201d Dr. Khokhar said. \u201cWe should have a big breakfast, followed by a moderate lunch and moderate dinner. Instead, we flip the script. We eat a big pot of pasta right before going to bed. Your body is not designed for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should make sure to stay upright for three hours after you eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

See a doctor for chronic hiccups<\/h2>\n

Annoying as they are, hiccups are not dangerous. Most of the time, they last only a few minutes. Sometimes, they will recur with varying degrees of frequency. About the worst thing that can happen is you might develop a sore throat or soreness in your chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, if you do have hiccups consistently, for more than a few days at a time, that can be a sign of something more sinister,\u201d Dr. Khokhar said.<\/p>\n

The list of conditions that can trigger chronic hiccups is large. Here are a few:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Alcoholism<\/li>\n
  • Diabetes<\/li>\n
  • Encephalitis<\/li>\n
  • Kidney disease<\/li>\n
  • Multiple sclerosis<\/li>\n
  • Stroke<\/li>\n
  • Tranquilizers<\/li>\n
  • Tumors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \u201cIf your hiccups persist more than two weeks, it could be an early warning sign of something you don\u2019t want to miss. See a primary care provider,\u201d Dr. Khokhar said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    See your primary care provider. Get relief So, you have the hiccups. They\u2019re driving you crazy. Someone suggests a remedy \u2013 stand on your head, hold your breath or breathe into a paper bag. Stop rolling your eyes. Some of those goofy-sounding home remedies actually work. \u201cThere\u2019s the old-wives\u2019 tale that if someone suddenly scares […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":13883,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[],"coauthors":[912],"class_list":["post-13853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pediatrics"],"yoast_head":"\nStopping and preventing hiccups | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn what causes hiccups, how to prevent them \u2013 and what to do in those rare cases when they last for several days.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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