Hiccups are nature’s way of telling you that your diaphragm is being irritated by either eating or drinking too much, too quickly. Here are some weird tips on how you can get instant relief from hiccups:
Gargle with ice-cold water
A sure-shot way to stop hiccups immediately is to gargle with cold water. You can put in a few ice cubes to chill the water instantly, but be careful not to swallow the ice cubes whole so as to avoid choking.
Take a whiff of overpowering smells
Strong smells, such as lemon and vinegar can help stop hiccups, and smelling salt is a rather unusual trick to quickly provide you relief from hiccups. Strong scented candles can also provide a pleasant way out from recurring spells of hiccups.
Massage the roof of your mouth
A hiccup is a spasm in your diaphragm, and tricking the vagus nerve is key to instantly stopping your diaphragm from going into spasms. An easy way to do so is by massaging the roof of your mouth with your tongue.
Hold your breath and spin around
A weird way to stop hiccups in their tracks is by spinning around while holding your breath. As you inhale, pinch your nose, sing a tune while spinning in a counter clockwise direction. Disclaimer: be careful not to go too fast or you will fall over.
Drink water at ground level
Hiccups can be cured by manipulating how you breathe and the way you drink water. One strange way of doing these two actions simultaneously is to go to the floor level to drink from your cup. Pour water in a glass, place it on the floor and drink from it by bending down. Finishing a glass of water this way will surely give you instant relief.
Cough it off
Constrict your diaphragm by coughing or burping, which in turn will disrupt the spasms and stop the hiccups immediately.
Eat something sweet – or sour
Eating something intensely sweet or sour will also help cure hiccups almost instantly. So next time you get hiccups, eat a spoonful of sugar or a lemon wedge, and you are good to go.
Getting hiccups occasionally is nothing to worry about, and these tricks will help you get rid of them quickly. But if you think the spells of hiccups are too frequent, then a visit to a medical practitioner would be best.
