2006-11-26 10:38:26 · 15 answers · asked by Caroline 3 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
What's all this stuff you hear about giving someone a fright to rid them of hiccups (ie. putting a cold key down someone's back).
Is there any truth in it ?
2006-11-26 10:44:42 · update #1
Hickups or caused when your diaphragm has spasms. Citric acid will usually alleviate the symptoms. Biting down on a small wedge of lemon will cure them almost instantaneously. But lemon juice out of one of those small plastic lemons will not work.
2006-11-26 10:51:11 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 12⤊ 2⤋
Alternative name: Singultus
Definition: A hiccup is an unintentional movement (spasm) of the diaphragm, the muscle at the base of the lungs. The spasm is followed by rapid closure of the vocal cords, which produces a distinctive sound.
Hiccups often start for no apparent reason and usually disappear after a few minutes. Rarely, hiccups can persist for days, weeks, or months. Hiccups are common and normal in newborns and infants.
Common Causes :
Noxious fumes
Hot and spicy foods or liquids
Any disease or disorder that irritates the nerves that control the diaphragm (such as pleurisy or pneumonia)
Stroke or tumour affecting the "hiccup centre" in the brain
Abdominal surgery
There may be no obvious cause for hiccups.
Home Care: There is no sure way to stop hiccups, but there are a number of common suggestions that may be effective:
Hold your breath.
Breathe repeatedly into a paper bag.
Drink a glass of cold water.
Eat a teaspoon of sugar.
Personally I find the following method always works. It's a bit uncomfortable but at least it stops the hiccups.
Take a glass of water and fill it to the brim.
Pinch your nose so that you can't breathe and then drink out of the wrong side of the glass so that your chin is in the water and drink the water until you have to gasp. When I finish gasping I've always recovered from the hiccups. It isn't as bad as it sounds!
2006-11-26 18:48:07 · answer #2 · answered by lianhua 4 · 8⤊ 1⤋
Hiccups are caused by involuntary contractions of your diaphragm ,what you can do when you get it:
Holding your breath
Slowly drinking a cold glass of water
Breathing into a paper bag
Eating a spoonful of sugar
Having someone startle you
Gently massaging the back of the roof of your mouth with a cotton swab for a minute or so
2006-11-26 18:47:44 · answer #3 · answered by ihfdali 1 · 6⤊ 1⤋
OK hiccups are caused by your diaphragm It works perfect most of the time but when it gets irritated it makes jerky movements and to stop them all you have to do is not think about it I'm serious! I have found the best way to not think about it is to drink a glass of water upside down and backwards!! Yes it is possible! and it gets your mind off of them by trying to do that!
2006-11-26 18:50:49 · answer #4 · answered by Jessica 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hiccups is caused by a reverse of the normal procedure of swallowing (antiperystalsis), usually through overacidity. May sound odd, but this works. Put your each forefinger in each ear and your 2 little fingers over your nostrils, so as block all air. Take a deep gulp of air, swallow and hold on as long and as hard as you can. May have to repeat, but this does work. Fellow sufferer.
2006-11-26 19:30:55 · answer #5 · answered by Garry R 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Don't know what causes them, I often get them when eating spicy food like curry. However, the way I make mine go away is hold my breath, fill a glass with water and quickly take many very small sips (while still holding my breath) until I feel I can't hold it any more.
Works every time.
2006-11-26 19:11:25 · answer #6 · answered by Vicki G 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The best cure i have found for hiccups is when i hear someone doing it i offer them 20p for the next one, they rarely do another one.
This is because a hiccup is an involuntery reaction, by making someone focus on trying to do one it becomes a voluntery one and the brain takes over and generally stops them.
try it, it works!
2006-11-26 18:50:01 · answer #7 · answered by L D 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
What I do 1st is hold my breath for as long as I can. Several times. If that does not work get a Large glass of H2o, plug your ears with your fingers & hold your nose closed & drink all the water. It's easyer if someone helps you do this but yes, I've done it on my own a few times too. I should of recorded that LOL (this has only failed once for me in many yrs.)
2006-11-26 18:52:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
To get ride of them you hold your breath then et a drink of water.
I think they are caused because of air in your stomach.
2006-11-26 19:14:43 · answer #9 · answered by Sammi G 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are caused by air trapped under your diagphram at the base of your rib cage.
deep breath in and hold for 10 seconds works for me everytime.
2006-11-26 18:42:06 · answer #10 · answered by PAUL J 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋