At a point in time, everyone must have encountered hiccups irrespective of how severe it is at the time. Hiccups may go away without any remedy, however, unfortunately, there are times hiccups stay for a longer time and may disrupt eating and other activities like talking (1).
Medically, hiccups are referred to as singultus, and physiologically speaking, this is a result of involuntary contraction of the diaphragm and surrounding intercostal muscles.
When this happens, the voice box, also called the larynx contracts simultaneously leading to the closure of the vocal folds thereby inhibiting the free flow of air which manifests thereafter as hiccups producing the “hic” sound (2).
It’s important to note that hiccups are not restricted to any age group. It can affect infants, children, adolescents, adults, and even the elderly but all may have similar causes either physiological or a result of a disease state (3).
Below Are Some Proven Methods to Get Rid of Your Hiccups:
When you have hiccups, drinking or eating some specific kind of foods will help to alleviate the hiccups
- Ice water: Gently sipping or drinking ice water will help to get rid of your hiccups
- Warm water: In the absence of ice water, quickly drink up a glass of hot or warm water without pausing