5 Simple Ways to Stop Hiccups

No one likes getting hiccups, but we all do at some point in life. Most hiccups are caused by problems in digestion, but that is not always the case. Children seem to get hiccups more often than adults, but we all have to deal with them throughout our lives. The only thing you can do once that happens is try to get rid of hiccups as soon as they crop up. This is easier for some people to do than others, but everyone comes up with a trick eventually that works for him or her. Here are five ways to stop hiccups that you could use to fix yours in the future.

1 – A Spoonful of Sugar

A spoonful of sugar can do a lot more than make the medicine go down. It can also stop your hiccups. Children love this option because it gives them a chance to stock up on sweets for the week in one giant gulp. Put a teaspoon of sugar in your mouth and let it sit there for just a second before swallowing. You can drink some water after that to get the sugar to go down, or you can just control your breathing to see if the hiccups go away. It just depends on how well this solution works for you.

2 – I Can't Hear You!

Some doctors say that you can actually stop hiccups by putting your fingers in your ears. There is a nerve in the brain that causes hiccups to start in the first place, and putting your fingers in your ears can trigger that nerve to react to something else. You don't need to put your fingers in far. Just pretend you are trying to drown out something that someone is saying to you. Hopefully the hiccups will go away shortly after that.

3 – To Breathe or Not to Breathe

Another common way to stop hiccups is to hold your breath as long as possible. That slows the movement of your diaphragm and controls your breath long enough to get rid of the hiccups. I can't do this because I have a hard time holding my breath, but a lot of people use this as a quick and convenient option for getting rid of hiccups. It may be hard to hold your breath as the hiccups try to escape, but you should be able to do this if you practice a couple times.

4 – Fear Factor

A lot of people literally scare the hiccups out of their bodies. The theory is that getting scared causes your body to reset itself, hiccups and all. It may not be easy for you to get scared without warning, but try to see if someone can help you out with this. My husband will sometimes run to another room when I get the hiccups, and then he pops out of a closet when I go looking for him. See if someone might be willing to do that for you in the future.

5 – Water Works

Swallowing water may also help you get rid of hiccups because the swallowing process quiets the nerves in your body. I subconsciously hold my breath when I drink water, so I have found that drinking like this also allows me to control my breathing to get rid of hiccups. If swallowing doesn't work, you could also try gargling. Scientists say that has the same effect.

Test out a few of the options above the next time you get hiccups and see if they go away. If so, you will at least know what to do for the hiccup hazards in the future.