According To Science, Breathing In Deeply & Holding Your Breath Will Stop Your Hiccups

By
Krystal Tay
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If you’ve watched the How To Train Your Dragon series, you would recognize this dude.

Image: Giphy

Unfortunately, this is not the hiccup we are all blessed to have crossed paths with. Count your blessings, Astrid.

Hiccups

We all get hiccups from time to time regardless of how old or young we are. Animals fall captive to hiccups too, and so do human fetuses.

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But do you know what exactly causes them?

Image: Giphy

According to Medical News Today, hiccups are medically known as synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF) or singultus; that’s pronounced as single-tus.

With reference to the same article, hiccups occur when the diaphragm suddenly contracts concurrently as the voice box contracts and vocal folds close, thus restricting the air flow. This condition commonly arises when you eat or drink too fast.

I took it upon myself to compile a list of interesting facts about hiccups from Reader’s Digest and BuzzFeed so you can impress your date or switch out your pick-up lines for these on Tinder. (Let me know if it works)

    • Hiccups are more apparent in babies than other human beings
    • The existence of hiccups is a mystery even till today
    • According to BuzzFeed, some scientists suggest that it stems from our evolutionary past (think fish gills and amphibious frogs). Yikes.
    • There’s no guarantee that home remedies actually work
    • Hiccups are said to help fetuses strengthen their muscles for breathing independently after birth
    • The longest period of time a hiccup lasted is 68 years for a man by the name of Charles Osborne

Science on How to stop hiccups

At some point in life, you’d probably have turned to Google for the fastest way to cure hiccups before reminiscing the times you took your hiccup-free days for granted.

While there are some reports who are for and against the idea that home remedies are unhelpful in curing hiccups, it’s important to keep in mind that what works for others may not work for you and vice versa.

I’m no doctor but my go-to method to get rid of the pesky condition is to hold my breath for 10 seconds, ask any of my friends and you’ll discover that I really live by this remedy.

It may take a few tries sometimes but overall, I would say the success rate is pretty high for me.

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Image: Giphy

And hey, it seems like I’m not alone.

According to Medical News Today, experts from National Health Service and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended the following solutions to be hiccup-free.

  • Inhale deeply and hold your breath for 10 seconds before exhaling slowly. Repeat this process for 3 times and take a break before coming back to it in 20 minutes.
  • Slowly consume a glass of warm water while holding your breath
  • Suck on a thinly sliced lemon
  • Place a few drops of vinegar on your mouth (at your own risk)
  • Gently press on your diaphragm
  • Gently exert force on each side of your nose while swallowing

Whichever method you decide to embark on, it is advisable to leave the hiccup alone as it usually goes off by itself after awhile. If you’re like Charles Osborne however, maybe it’s better to seek professional advice.

But yes, holding your breath does work after all.

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Krystal Tay
Email: [email protected]