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• Part 1 of 3: Using home remedies for hiccups
• Part 2 of 3: Preventing hiccups through a different lifestyle
• Part 3 of 3: Knowing when to see the doctor

The hiccups can be bothersome and very annoying. This occurs when the muscle at the bottom of your rib cage, the diaphragm, starts to spasm. Because your diaphragm controls your breathing, air is forced past your vocal cords causing them to close, producing the hiccups sound. In most cases, the hiccups will go away on their own after a few minutes and there is nothing to worry about. Occasionally this may last for more than two days and require medical treatment.

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Part 1 of 3: Using home remedies for hiccups

1. Try to change your breathing rhythm. This can help your diaphragm to relax and stop the spastic movement.
   • Hold your breath for a few seconds. You don't have to do this for long, just enough to start a new breathing rhythm. Do not hold your breath for so long that it becomes uncomfortable or you feel dizzy. Children with the hiccups can try this method.
   • Breathe into a paper bag. This will help you focus on breathing more slowly and deeply, which will help your diaphragm stop the spasm.
   • It's unclear whether scaring someone can actually stop hiccups, but if that makes you gasp and changes your breathing, it could work.
   • Smelling salts can also help change your breathing rhythm.
2. Soothe irritated muscles by drinking cold water. This will help especially if you got hiccups from eating too quickly.
   • This method also works with children. If your baby has the hiccups, try breastfeeding or a bottle to help the baby get rid of the hiccups.
   • When you feel your throat tighten because of a hiccups coming up, drink small sips of water. The water will soothe your muscles and force you to adopt a different breathing rhythm while drinking. This may not work on the first sip, so keep drinking until it works.
   • Some people say you should drink upside down, on the wrong side of the cup. While not scientifically proven, this will likely make you laugh (along with everyone around you), which will change your breathing rhythm.
   • Gargle with cold water. This also forces you to change your breathing rhythm. But be careful not to choke if you have to hiccup while drinking. This is only suitable for adults and children who are old enough to gargle without choking.
3. Eat a spoonful of something sweet. This activates your salivary glands and causes your breathing rhythm to change as you swallow.
   • Eat honey or sugar. However, do not give a baby honey or sugar. Babies also get hiccups, and just like adults, this is harmless and will go away on its own.
4. Eat something sour. This also stimulates the salivary glands and makes you swallow.
   • Bite into a lemon or take a spoonful of vinegar.
   • Tickling your palate or pulling your tongue can have a similar effect. Don't do this to a baby.
5. Press your chest. This technique has not been medically tested, but it can help by changing your posture and putting your diaphragm in a different position.
   • Curl over to put pressure on your chest.
   • You can also raise your knees in a fetal position.
   • Hold this position for a few minutes to see if it helps. If not, sit up and take a deep breath.
   • A child can try to change the position of standing or sitting, but try not to put pressure on the chest of a very young child with hiccups.

Part 2 of 3: Preventing hiccups through a different lifestyle

1. Eat slowly. Eating too fast can cause you to gasp and disrupt the rhythm of your breathing.
   • Take smaller bites and chew your food better before swallowing it.
   • Wash down your food with sips of water to keep it from getting stuck in your throat and causing hiccups.
   • Don't overeat.
2. Drink less alcohol and carbonated drinks. Too much of either can cause hiccups.
   • Drunkenness can cause hiccups.
   • Carbonated drinks can cause you to take in air and can irritate the muscles in your throat, causing hiccups.
3. Avoid hot and spicy food or drinks. The change in temperature and the spices can irritate your throat and cause hiccups.
   • If you really like spicy food, drink plenty of water to avoid or stop the hiccups.
4. Reduce stress. Frequent, brief bouts of hiccups can be a response to stress or emotional arousal. If you often have the hiccups, try some simple methods to relax.
   • Get at least 8 hours of sleep
   • Exercise every day
   • Meditate

Part 3 of 3: Knowing when to see the doctor

1. Seek medical help if you have hiccups for more than 2 days or if it interferes with your sleep and eating rhythm. If you have the hiccups and it doesn't go away, this could be an indication that something else is going on. Your doctor can test you for the following:
   • Damage or irritation of the nerves leading to the diaphragm. Possible causes include something irritating your eardrum, a tumor, cyst, or goiter in your neck, and throat irritation or infection.
   • A nervous system disorder that affects how the brain works. This can make your body unable to control the hiccups reflex. Possible conditions include encephalitis, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, stroke, trauma, and tumors.
   • Metabolic conditions such as diabetes, kidney failure or an electrolyte imbalance.
   • Problems with breathing, such as asthma, pneumonia or pleurisy.
   • Gastrointestinal disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux or inflammatory bowel disease.
   • Alcoholism.
   • A psychological cause, such as shock, fear or sadness.
2. Tell your doctor if you are taking any medication that can cause hiccups. These include:
   • Painkillers
   • Corticosteroids to reduce inflammation
   • Sedatives to prevent seizures (benzodiazepines) or anxiety (barbiturates)
   • Heavy painkillers (opiates such as morphine)
   • Blood pressure reducers (methyldopa)
   • Chemotherapy medications used in cancer treatment
3. Know what to expect when visiting the doctor. Your doctor will likely examine you on a number of points to find out if there are any serious health problems causing the hiccups. He can investigate the following:
   • Your balance, reflexes and senses.
   • Blood tests for possible infection, diabetes and kidney function.
   • Get an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI in the hospital to see if there is no condition that is interfering with the nerves going to your diaphragm.
   • Having an endoscopy performed, whereby an image is obtained of the inside of your airways and esophagus by means of a small camera through the throat.
4. Discuss possible treatments with your doctor. If your doctor notices that there is another condition causing the problem, he / she will prescribe treatment for it. If nothing has been discovered, there are still a number of options left.
   • Hiccups such as chlorpromazine, haloperidol, baclofen, metoclopramide and gabapentin. However, it is not clear how effective these drugs are.
   • An injection of an anesthetic to calm the diaphragm nerve.
   • Surgical insertion of a small device to stimulate the vagus nerve.
   • Therapies with alternative treatments such as hypnosis or acupuncture can also relieve the complaints.