BS: Cures for hiccups?

Subject: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 02:02 PM

Anyone got some good suggestions?

The only one that seems to work for me is holding my breath for a loooooong time, which isn't so easy...and then breathing very shallowly for a bit after that. It usually does the trick.

Anyone know what causes hiccups? Or at least do you have a theory or two?

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: MMario
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 02:03 PM

teaspoon of sugar under the tongue usually works for me.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Peace
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 02:05 PM

"RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?"

See the gun thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 02:09 PM

What??????

Don't flip with me, ya hoser! ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Don Firth
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 02:24 PM

BOO!!

Always glad to help.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: GUEST,Diva
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 02:39 PM

a glass of water with a knife in it, then drink the water. This came from a wee French lassie who stayed with us, it was her grandmothers cure and it works every time

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 02:45 PM

Take a deep breath and hold it. Drink ten sips of water while holding that breath in.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 02:49 PM

I've also heard that drinking a glass of water upside-down works. No, not while standing on your head. Tilt your head way forward and down so that the rim of the glass contacts your upper lip instead of the usual lower lip.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 03:00 PM

When I was a kid, a friend of mine had the hiccups that would not go away. It was annoying to him and me. I stepped on his foot as hard as I could. After he finished screaming and hitting, he realized that the hiccups were gone.

I don't recommend this method, except as a last resort. The element of surprise is key.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 03:04 PM

I have heard a teaspoon of sugar with a drop of peppermint extract. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 03:24 PM

So, I should attempt to provoke other people into physically attacking me, Ron?

Hmmm. Sounds like a plan.    ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 03:25 PM

If you are into that sort of thing!!!    :)

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 03:39 PM

Not sure what causes hiccups, but a medico once told me that anyone can stop hiccups by increasing the levels of CO2 in their bloodstream. This can be done by a) drinking a tall glass of water, b) holding your breath, c) breathing into a paper bag, d) any of a number of other home remedies. The thing that works for me every time is to expel as much air as I can from my lungs and then hold back on breathing in for as long as I can. It never fails to cure my hiccups. Good luck.

Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Bert
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 03:48 PM

A passionate kiss works well.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Jos
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 04:27 PM

Breathe in.
Then instead of breathing out, breathe in again.
Now, instead of breathing out, breathe in again, and again, and again . . .

This will expand your lungs and your chest so that there are no little nooks and crannies where air can stay trapped.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 04:55 PM

Besides the breathe, don't breathe things, a teaspoon of vinegar followed immediately by a teaspoon of very cold water always works for me. Since it probably has something to do with the way we breathe, maybe you should try playing a harmonica as has been found to help with sleep apnea, another breathing disorder.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 05:17 PM

Hmmm. Good stuff, folks.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: mrdux
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 05:59 PM

I've had hiccups for as long as a week at a time -- a nasty bit of business -- that has needed to be cured pharmacologically (10 mg valium q.i.d. for a couple days). Short of that, although I've tried all of the home remedies above, the only one that has worked even a little bit for me is breathing slooooowly and deeeeply into a paper bag to build up the CO2 level. During my last bout, my acupuncturist suggested that taking a therapeutic dose of magnesium has been known to stop the hiccups cold. I tried it and it actually worked.

michael

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 06:05 PM

During my drinking days, it always seemed that "drunk hiccups" were harder to get rid of than run-of-the-mill hiccups. Anyone else found that to be true?

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Jeanie
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 06:11 PM

If anyone had hiccups in class, my French teacher had a wonderful cure, which worked every time: She would call the person out to the front of the class, take hold of the little finger of their right hand, and just stand there, - and the hiccups stopped very quickly. I've used this "cure" on people myself many times - either in a classroom situation or just about anywhere - and yes, it has always worked. I think the reason might be that the hiccuping person is scared because they think you are going to do something nasty or scary, and it is the anticipation which scares them and jolts them out of the hiccuping.

Miss Parker's cure worked even after we had seen her do this several times over the years - so, in addition to the anticipation of being scared, the other reason it works is the total conviction on the part of the curer that it *is* going to work. I, certainly, have never known it to fail.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Bert
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 07:16 PM

You can keep your vinegar and breathing exercises. I'll settle for the passionate kiss any time.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 07:34 PM

Uh-huh. Easy for you to say... ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 07:46 PM

Good new and bad news, LH...

Which one you want first???

Nevermind...

Okay, the good news is that GUEST, Diva is correct about putting the knife in the glass of water and let the blade part rest in the middle of yer forhead and drink the water without breathin' while yer drinkin' it... What this does is forces you at accept a slow rythum as you take in the water and this rhythum goes to sioppin' the hickups...

Now fir the bad news:

Hickups have two main causes... First is postin' too much at Mudcat... And the second is what yer daddy used to tell ya that if "ya did it that you'd go blind"....

Sorry to break the bad news to ya'...

But go get a galss of water and a knife....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 02:57 AM

Hold your breath for an hour. After you have turned blue, then ashen grey, the hiccups will have stopped. ?:-)


Hiccups are caused by involuntary spasms of the diaphragm.

Breathing into a paper bag increases the carbon dioxide in the blood. It is the carbon dioxide that triggers the breathing response so, presumably, the brain is asking the diaphragm to move in one direction thus overriding the spasm.

Holding your breath will also act in the same way but a second mechanism may be possible. Taking a deep breadth and holding it stretches the diaphragm, much in the same way as stretching a muscle helps to remove cramp.

I'm not sure about giving someone a fright but perhaps it caused a short, sharp intake of breath which could stretch the diaphragm, as above.

If I was eye to eye with an attractive female French teacher who was holding my finger, I am sure I would take a sharp intake of breath and would have difficulty in breathing out !

DC

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 03:11 AM

This cure NEVER fails.

Take a glass of water put to the lips and keep it there.
Take a tiny sip - take a small breath in.
Take another tiny sip - let a small breath out.
Take another tiny sip take a small breath in.

You could continue but already you can probably say " What hiccups?"

If you can get him to concentrate and do it properly it works just as well drunk or sober.

Andy

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 03:15 AM

I've found that a good rousing chorus song will cure mine. It's the breath control thing again, but my method is musical!

Usually a chorus of 'Thousands or more' with all the harmony parts will do it, but if it's really bad, I belt out a shanty, taking as few breaths as possible.

Doesn't really work when you're in church or at your office though. And it gets you some strange looks on the bus too, but heck, I don't care about those any more!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 01:30 PM

No kidding, eh, Bobert?



Oh shit.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 12:34 AM

So, I should attempt to provoke other people into physically attacking me, Ron?

Hmmm. Sounds like a plan.    ;-)

Should be easy, LH. Seems like ya'v got a natural talent for it.

And maybe Chongo 'd be willing to help. He sometimes seems to not like you all that much, and probably could be hired to attack almost anyone.

Hiccups can have a number of causes, although only a couple are really common. For "technical" advice, the term "dyspnea" may be of use, although most articles deal with other kinds of symptoms so some additional selective searching may be needed.

A common cause in "drunk hiccups," for some, is "pocketed" accumulation of gas in the esophagus that affects breathing by causing pressure on the diaphragm, and some people might find adding some carbonation a.la. an "Alka-Seltzer" or other similar medicament may allow the gas pockets to coalesce so that a good burp stops the hiccup stimulus. (Most carbonated beverages don't provide sufficient CO₂ to be an effective treatment, although using soda or tonic water rather than taking it straight or with water alone may delay onset if one is susceptible.)

Hiccups can also be caused by localized irritation of the palate, throat, and upper esophagus or bronchial pathways, as might be caused by reflux of stomach acids, hence the many advices about drinking something or drinking in strange ways, which may "flush the area" a bit differently than normal. Since drinkng (alcoholic) dulls many reflexes, some unusual reflux may occur in people not otherwise familiar with the phenomenon. An unexpected "burp" can also sometimes produce an unusual reflux, even when you're not drunk.

(In my house, inhaling or otherwise ingesting a stray cat hair can be the suspected source of a local irritation.)

An unobtrusive technique that sometimes works is to inhale fairly deeply, clamp the throat to block exhaling, and "squeeze" as if exhaling to raise the internal pressure in the lungs a bit. (It's sort of like the well-known "g-clamp" used by pilots in high-g maneuvers to keep the blood from running out of the brain, except you clamp the other end and squeeze a bit differently.) This could, in principle, change the pCO₂/pO₂ levels in your blood, but it takes significant time for effective changes to be produced and distributed in your system, so it's likely more a matter of tricking your brain into thinking there's been a change. The minimal pressure rise that you generate may also inflate lung sacs to change the breathing stimuli the brain receives. At least if this doesn't work, nobody has noticed so you're free to try one of the more bizarre methods.

This last technique may also be helpful in other cases of dyspnea, i.e. where you feel like you're not getting enough air even when there's no apparent restriction; but the possibility of more serious causes for dyspnea of this kind should get you to professional examination to rule out apnea, asthma, and/or angina, among other possibilities.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 01:53 AM

It's not that Chongo doesn't like me, John, we just have very different values about some things, so we don't always agree. But Chongo wouldn't attack me. He only attacks really aggressive people who get in his face. People who are "askin' for it". That's not me. He's also got surprisingly strong moral standards, and would never hire out to attack "almost anyone". In fact, he would probably attack someone who offered him money to DO that. Chongo grew up idolizing the "good guys", like Tarzan and Philip Marlowe....strong men of few words who take action to defend the weak and innocent and defeat the evil forces that prey on society. That's how he sees himself. He's a real romantic.

Chongo gets hiccups sometimes too, so I think he will really appreciate all the good tips on this thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Sliding Down The Bannister At My Auntie's House
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 02:32 AM

Right - CONCENTRATE - you love hiccups! you just did one a few seconds ago ... when is the next one going to happen? you're not sure - but try and do it soon CONCENTRATE on hiccuping - imagine that you are going to get paid £100 for every hiccup - CONCENTRATE - when is the next one going to come? You love hiccupping, the sensation is so good! When the next one comes you will savoutr it and analyse every sensation in your throat that the wonderful hiccup gives you... when will the next one come - please I must hiccup!

This method of positive concentration works for hiccups and also will work for spasmodic pains.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: GUEST,Baba
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 10:51 AM

Yep, I've heard of this reverse willpower stuff

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: GUEST,jOhn
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 12:00 PM

Put your head in a bag.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 01:54 PM

I normally do that whenever I go outside anyway...

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: GUEST,jOhn
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 02:05 PM

oh.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: FolkTDG
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 02:17 PM

I find holding your breath and swallowing as many times as you can tends to work. it gets really hard to swallow after about 7!

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 04:41 PM

infallible! (cures dandruff, too)

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 05:09 PM

I like it. Fast, efficient, and guaranteed to end the problem. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 02:45 AM

Can cause neck pain.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 03:28 AM

Struck me as funny that this thread should be above the one named Gun Control..........Guns used to control hiccups which is spelt hiccoughs

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: GUEST,Hater of clever gits
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 04:48 AM

So guns can control hiccups spelt hiccoughs!

How do I know which way my infliction is spelt?

If it's spelt hiccups then it's bulletproof.

Gregoriancrap you are a cleverclogs aren't you!

See Here

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 11:21 AM

I doubt GUEST that you have ever had the misfortune to have me being nasty to you or trying to show you up. That doubt, because unlike you I try to be civil with everyone and would not attack someone without due cause.........each to his/her own I suppose.
Best wishes to you anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: GUEST,Canadienne
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 11:37 AM

you could try this......

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Bert
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 01:25 AM

but my method is musical!


Aw Squeaks, I was looking forward to that kiss.

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 06:01 PM

First j0hn [27 Apr 07 - 12:00 PM] tries to bring up sex, and then Little Hawk [27 Apr 07 - 01:54 PM] tries to encourage it;

And now Canadienne links us to:

"An orgasm results in incredible stimulation of the vagus nerve. From now on, I will be recommending sex – culminating with orgasm – as the cure-all for intractable hiccups."

[I think I kinda like that attitude]

John

Subject: RE: BS: Cures for hiccups?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 09:06 AM

I'm with Mmario and GUESTmg: Sugar.

My grandmother's remedy (70 years ago) was a teaspoonful of sugar with a little peppermint extract. In the mouth, and don't swallow, but let it dissolve by itself.

In later years I found (because I didn't have the peppermint extract available) that a spoonful of sugar under the tongue, held there without any attempt to "chew" it or swallow it, letting it dissolve, works wonders.

There's also breathing in and out in a paper sack. That one makes physiological sense. A higher carbon dioxide level slows the breathing cycle,and evidently upsets the hiccup cycle. Easier and more effective than trying to do it by holding your breath.

Dave Oesterreich