How to fight hiccups at home?

What is hiccups and how is it removed?

Drinking sugar, drinking 7 drinks of water without breathing, holding your breath or biting a lemon are some of the homemade cures for hiccups . But how effective are they? In this article we analyze in detail what are those annoying contractions of the diaphragm , and we suggest how to combat them .
Let's start by knowing a little more about the hiccups . Everything starts in an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm . The sudden flow of air into the lungs causes the epiglottis to close, creating the known " hic ". But this is not the only cause of hiccups, it can also be caused by a failure in the duodenum .

In medicine, the "hiccup" is known as a singular and is considered a transient reaction of our body, in most cases benign. Almost all cases of hiccups last only a few minutes, but some episodes can last for days or weeks. It is unusual and is usually a sign of another medical disorder.


One way to quell the hiccups is to "overwhelm" the vagus nerve with another sensation. In this way, said nerve sends signals to the brain indicating that more important things have happened, so it is time to stop the hiccups. Another method may be to interfere breathing, for a few seconds, increasing the amount of dioxide of carbon in the blood. This will probably cause the body to become more interested in getting rid of carbon dioxide rather than producing hiccups.

Suggestions to stop hiccups


  1. The first suggestion is to produce an " overload " on the nerve terminals of the tongue, ingesting a teaspoon of sugar.
  2. Some doctors recommend covering your ears to stop hiccups. The branches of the vagus nerve also reach the auditory system, and by stimulating the nerve endings of the ear, the vagus nerve enters into action. 
  3. Drinking water or gargling with water in some cases interrupts the cycle of hiccups.
  4. Producing a fright , the person with hiccups, can put the meticulous vagus nerve in check.
  5. Taking an antacid can be an effective but unnatural method . If you opt for this option it will be convenient to get one that contains magnesium , since that mineral tends to reduce nerve irritation.
  6. Eating slowly and chewing well is a good alternative to fight hiccups. Those who chew little, are more prone to hiccups, due to the air that is trapped between food. This can trigger a reaction of the vagus nerve, which by now becomes "the meticulous vagus nerve", to be "the insufferable vagus nerve."
  7. Overloading the stomach with food is another cause of hiccups. Some experts believe that hiccups are a way for the body to tell us to stop eating so much, so that all foods can be processed correctly.
  8. Although in Mexico, I would be hated for this advice, to avoid hiccups, you have to avoid spicy ones . Some spices can irritate the lining of the esophagus and stomach.

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