Fast And Effective Ways To Get Rid Of Your Pesky Hiccups

Not only are hiccups annoying, but they can also become painful after an extended period of time! WebMD explains that hiccups are caused by a spasm that contracts the diaphragm, which forces you to take a sharp breath that's suddenly stopped by the closure of your vocal cords. Hence, the classic "hiccup" sound!

There are many reason your body may begin hiccupping, like drinking carbonated beverages, drinking too much alcohol, eating too much or too quickly or a sudden onset of excitement or emotional stress, as explained by the Mayo Clinic. Lucky for you, there are tons of easy way to get rid of even the most stubborn of hiccups!

Something Sweet To Eat - Giving your mouth's nerve endings a sweetness overload actually does wonders for long-lasting hiccups. Use a teaspoon of sugar and place it directly on your tongue. Your mouth will be so focus on the sweet taste that your body will forget all about the hiccups.

Grab A Bendy Straw.... Or Two - First things first, you have to fill a cup with water! Then you'll plug your ears and gulp down the water using one or two straws. This method work best on teenagers and children with smaller diaphragms - it might take several large gulps for adults.

Look, No Hands - It might seem like an impossible task to drink a glass a water with no hands, but it'll be more than worth it! First put a cup of water on a table and sit on a chair directly in front of it. You'll need to bend down and drink as much as possible, all without using your hands to grab or balance it!

The Infamous "Middle Name" Method - Hiccups can be fooled by your mind! So the next time you, or someone you know, is suffering from them, ask the person for their middle name and don't tell them why you're asking. Then ask the person to spell it. Once they do, tell them, "Your hiccups are gone." You'll notice the hiccups will disappear right away (if the person is susceptible to this type of solution).

Chomping On A No. 2 - For this trick you'll need a plain old pencil. Put it horizontally between your teeth and start drinking a glass of water. It may seem complicated, but you only need to gulp down a few good sips for it to have a lasting effect.

A Spoonful Of Peanut Butter? - A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, but a hefty tablespoon of peanut butter (or something of similar consistency like Almond Butter or Nutella) can help get rid of your hiccups permanently. Put the peanut butter in your mouth and hold it there for 5-10 seconds, then swallow it all without chewing!

A Burp Never Hurt - Forget about politeness! For hiccups that just won't go away, try swallowing mouthfuls of air until you burp. This will reset your "vagus nerve" and will end your hiccups right then and there!

Snag A Few Paper Towels - Drinking an entire glass of water through a paper towel is another great way to stop hiccups! This is supposed to use more suction, which, in turn, forces your body to work even harder to finish the glass of water. Your brain will forget all about the hiccups.

Brown Paper Bagging It - It's a well-known fact that breathing into a paper bag increases the amount of carbon dioxide your body consumes. Doing so forces your body to get rid the excess carbon dioxide instead concerning itself with hiccups. But remember to breathe nice and slowly! You don't want to start hyperventilating in addition to suffering from hiccups.

Give Your Lungs A Boost - For this, all you need to do is take a deep breath and hold it in. After inhaling, plug your nose and close your mouth completely. Then move your diaphragm in and out as if you were breathing quickly. Of course you should exhale if you need more air, or as soon as the hiccups stop!

A Toothpick Is All You Need - Here's another jedi-like mind trick! Break a toothpick in half and drop it in a full glass of water. Begin to drink the water while focusing on not swallowing the toothpick! Concentrating on this will force your body to cease hiccuping.

Close It All Up - Last, but not least, you can try placing your thumbs over your tragus (the little flap in front of the ear canal) and pressing inward. Then, while keeping your fingers on your tragus, close your nose with your pinkie fingers. Lastly, close your eyes and then take a deep breath! Hold your breath as long as possible - and then try breathing normally. Voilà, your hiccups are gone!