How to get rid of hiccups? 3 tips that really work

Among all the techniques that one hears to get rid of hiccups, it seems that some of them are explained scientifically. Here are three tips that can be effective in stopping a mild hiccup.

Hiccup is a sudden, spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm and the muscles that lie between the ribs. In the next fraction of a second, the vocal cords at the larynx close, ending the inspiration. The air suddenly sucked through the lungs and blocked produces this recognizable sound among all, the famous "hic!" It's hiccups Most of the time, hiccups are momentary and harmless. It is considered "persistent" when it extends for more than 48 hours. The one that lasts more than two months is called "intractable". In this case, hiccups become irritating, demoralizing, even exhausting.

The causes of hiccups
The causes of benign hiccups are mostly gastrointestinal in nature: we ate too quickly, too quickly drunk. The stomach then expands too quickly. A mechanism starts moving between the esophagus, the diaphragm, the vocal cords, and the stomach. The circuit generates an abnormal excitation of the muscular fibers of the diaphragm, triggering in many cases the reflex of the hiccups. The goal of the latter would be to dislodge food obstructing the esophagus. It is therefore possible that the reflex is triggered by a misinterpretation of a nervous message. In rarer cases, hiccups may also indicate more severe conditions, inflammation or a tumor. It can also appear during a stroke .

In general, hiccups are considered a minor hassle. To make it disappear, we hear a multitude of tricks, some more farfetched than each other. If no technique is unanimous, some maneuvers can work. In his book Tickling (and other small neurological worries) * Dr. Laurent Vercueil, neurologist and head of the Unit of Functional Explorations of the Nervous System at Grenoble University Hospital, explains that there are arguments that make it possible to understand why certain tricks can have an impact on what he calls the "reflex loop", the mechanism of hiccups.

The Valsalva maneuver
This maneuver is often used in scuba diving. It prevents an imbalance between the pressure of the outer ear and that of the inner ear. It consists of taking a breath, closing one's nose, closing one's mouth and exhaling gently, in order to avoid any lesions. By raising the chest and abdominal pressures through the maneuver, the vagus nerve activates, slowing the heart rate. Now, the vagus nerve is involved in the reflex of hiccups: it controls both the gastric secretion, but also the contraction control of the vocal cord. Thus, it is possible that this vagal activation interrupts it.

Divert the attention from hiccups ...
... causing an emotion. Someone jumps or screams and scares us, for example. In his book, the neurologist states that a priori, for this technique, it removes the thoracic and digestive factors of the reflex. However, a sudden fear is a powerful activator of the vagal system. This is why under the influence of a strong emotion, it happens that we can faint . For the same reason as the previous trick: the vagus nerve being involved in the reflex of hiccups, it could interrupt the phenomenon, although no scientific study comes to prove it.

Have an orgasm
That's what a Canadian discovered when his hiccup persisted for 4 days. During a sexual intercourse, the orgasm allowed him to remove his hiccups. Already in the nineteenth century, a doctor on behalf of Dr. George T Dexter reportedly observed the sexual treatment of hiccups. Orgasm is a powerful activator of the autonomic nervous system, including the parasympathetic, corresponding to a relaxation response. Once again, it would be possible for the vagus nerve to play a role, itself carrying the parasympathetic information.