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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Hiccups

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Hiccups

Hippocrates said that sneezing would bring relief Plato swore the answer was to hold your breath and gargle. For centuries, the world's greatest minds have pondered long and hard the cures for this most perplexing medical mishap.

Which seems like a real waste of great-mind time. C'mon, we're only talking about hiccups, guys.

Why all the pondering? Maybe it's because almost everyone has a super-favorite, nothing-like-it, can't-be-beat, surefire cure. And many of them work. "Any time someone suggests something and the hiccups disappear, they assume it's a remedy, so just about anything could qualify as a remedy," says John Renner, M.D., a consumer health expert and clinical professor of family medicine at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. "That's because most hiccups disappear on their own in a few minutes. Just wait long enough, and in most cases, doing nothing will cure hiccups. But right now, there are people who swear that wearing stockings or smelling perfume will cure hiccups."

The cause of hiccups is simple: Usually something has triggered involuntary contractions in the diaphragm. You may have swallowed air when you were eating fast or taking a shower or when you suddenly got excited. You can get hiccups from eating an "irritating" food (usually gas inducers such as vegetables or beans) or from eating both hot and cold foods at the same time. Drinking alcohol or carbonated beverages can also set off those involuntary (hic!) contractions. In short, just about anything can cause hiccups, says James Lewis, M.D., vice president for medical development at Glaxo Pharmaceuticals in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and an authority on hiccup causes and cures.

But whatever the cause, quicker relief is in sight if you:

Hear no evil, have no hiccups. Plugging your ears with your fingers for about 20 seconds can halt hiccups, says Dev Mehta, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. This remedy, reported in the medical journal Lancet, operates on the theory that sticking your fingers in your ears temporarily short-circuits the vagus nerve, which controls hiccuping. That, in turn, interrupts the hiccup cycle.

When to See the Doctor

Persistent hiccups that last for several days without improvement might indicate a serious medical problem and require medical attention.

"If you have hiccups that you can't get rid of for three or four days, see your doctor," says John Renner, M.D., a consumer health expert and clinical professor of family medicine at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. "It may mean you have a gastrointestinal disorder, a problem in your nervous system or an infection or some kind."

Of course, bouts of hiccups that last for several days are highly unusual. But according to Dr. Renner, if you repeatedly get hiccups, you should let your doctor know about it. "It could mean more than the regular muscle spasm that causes most hiccups," he says.

Drink pineapple juice...or just about anything else. "This is a popular folklore remedy, but we use it in my house when someone gets hiccups, and it works great," says Dr. Renner. "It's the acidic content of pineapple juice that's said to do the trick, but the truth is, drinking just about any liquid will have the same effect. Drinking requires a lot of swallowing, and doing a lot of swallowing is probably the best way to stop hiccups."

Breathe into a brown paper bag. If swallowing isn't your style, do what the pros do: "The first thing we do when someone comes into the hospital with hiccups is have him breathe into a brown paper bag," says Dr. Mehta. "We're not exactly sure why it works, but we think that breathing more carbon dioxide affects the diaphragm in a way that stops hiccups."

Act like a brat. "Sticking your tongue out is another proven remedy," adds Dr. Renner. "It stimulates the glottis, which is the opening of the airway to the lungs"-and a closed glottis causes hiccups.

Rub the roof of your mouth with a cotton swab. It tickles a bit, but Dr. Lewis says it's another way to stimulate the glottis-without looking childish.

Try This Bartender's Remedy

If there's anyone who knows more about hiccups than doctors, it's bartenders. After all, drinking is a leading cause of hiccups. So what's their secret cure?

"You tell them you have a surefire way to cure hiccups, but they have to follow your instructions--with no questions asked," says Tony Liott, a longtime bartender in Palm Beach, Florida. "Then you take a glass of water, stick a metal spoon in the glass and tell them to drink it very fast, guzzle it without stopping."

Why the spoon?

"It takes their mind off their hiccups, I guess," says Liott. "I don't know what other reason it serves, but I've never seen anyone continue to have hiccups after trying it."

Hold your breath. This age-old remedy really does work, says Bahman Jabbari, M.D., chief of neurophysiology in the Department of Neurology at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. "It probably works in the same way breathing into a paper bag does."

Try a tongue pull. One theory says that any time you touch the back of your throat with your finger, a cotton swab or anything else, it stimulates the nerve to stop the diaphragm from hiccuping. Of course, the "gagging response" can also induce vomiting, so here's another way: Gently yank at your tongue! That causes the same reflex, but without the unpleasant gagging sensation.

"Squeeze" the hiccups out. While sitting in a chair or on the floor, compress your chest by pulling your knees up to your chest and leaning forward, advises Dr. Lewis.

Get your "gulper" working. When you swallow hard or quickly, all that gulping action could put an end to your hiccups. So what should you swallow? "A tall glass of ice water always works for me," says Dr. Jabbari. "Drinking vinegar is a popular choice," says Dr. Renner, "because it takes a lot to get it down and requires a lot of swallowing. The same goes for dry bread or crackers." Dr. Lewis also suggests sucking on lemon wedges soaked in angostura bitters-it's such a palate displeaser, you'll get that juice down pronto!

Swallow some sugar. This is especially popular for children who have hiccups. "Since a child isn't about to suck on bitter lemon wedges or drink vinegar, I suggest placing some sugar on the back of the tongue and swallowing it," says Dr. Mehta. Good news: It works just as well for adults.

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