Hiccups occur when a stimulus triggers the vagus nerve. This makes the diaphragm (the muscle that separates the lungs from the stomach) contract involuntary. This swift contraction causes a quick intake of air into the lungs forcing a brief closing of the glottis (located in the voice box and the opening between the vocal cords). This reflex action produces the "hic."

Most hiccups are harmless and usually stop with a matter of minutes. Even babies can get hiccups while in the womb.

Chronic hiccups are rare. A pig farmer, Charles Osborne from Iowa, suffered through 430 million hiccups, starting in 1922 and stopping in 1987. No known cause was found for Osborne’s hiccups.

In most cases there is no obvious cause of hiccups, although hot and spicy food, carbonated drinks, eating too fast, nervousness, sudden temperature changes, an unintended, but quick swallow of air, sudden laughter, fumes, cold air or cold water are suspected culprits. Naturally with a prolonged case of hiccups, a medical cause should be investigated.

There is a saying in medicine that the number of cures for a problem is inversely proportional to their effectiveness. There are many suggested cures for the hiccup. Some of the most common are:

• breathing into a paper bag;
• drinking water from the "wrong" side of a glass;
• lightly press on your chest, near breastbone, while hiccupping;
• putting sugar under the tongue;
• sucking on a fresh lemon;
• swallowing a teaspoon of vinegar;
• holding your breath as long as possible;
• eating ginger;
• having someone scare you;
• eating a spoonful of peanut butter;
• have someone tell you when the next hiccup is coming. Hiccups are involuntary, and "the hiccuper" becomes aware of their breathing pattern. This was taught to me by my voice coach;
• swallow twelve small gulps of water without breathing;
• several dashes of bitters and lemon on the tongue;
• drink as much water as possible (up to 16 oz.) through a terry cloth towel seating around the edge of the glass;
• bite down on a pencil or pen (crossing your mouth the long way) and drink water from a glass;
• find a straight-back chair. Sit down with your back fully pressed to the back of the chair. Slowly bend over in a tuck position (as in a 'crash position') until you feel slightly uncomfortable. Now, slowly squeeze your arms and try to squeeze your body. Hold your breath for 5-10 seconds and release. Stay in this same position, but relax and repeat the procedure 2-3 times. Slowly sit back up.

Naturally not all hiccup cures work for everyone. If you have a favorite cure for hiccups not on our list, e-mail the content webmaster – Emily.Davis@irmc.org We’ll compile a list of favorite hiccup cures…maybe you’ll find the one perfect when you suddenly…have the hiccups!

Contributor: Dottie Cobb