Hiccups are annoying—especially so when they hang around for five, 10 or 30 minutes or more.
They are due to an irritation of the vagus nerve, which runs from your brain to your stomach. It can cause your diaphragm to contract and periodically close your esophagus.
Here are some cures, listed in the September ’11 Reader’s Digest:
• Suck on a lemon wedge. The sour sensation should do the anti-hic trick.
• Put your hands over your ears. That may calm the nerve endings and stop the hiccups.
• Chug a glass of warm water. That may soothe your diaphragm and stop the contractions.
•Gargle with ice-cold water. That can shock the hiccups into submission.
•Eat a teaspoon of sugar. Swallowing something sweet can change your breathing rhythm.
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