Get rid of hiccups by sipping ice cold water

We all know what hiccups are, right? That is associated with that annoying "hic" sound that we all make at some point in our lives, not just once but many times.

While getting hiccups is not really a problem, it sometimes occur at unfortunate moments like maybe when you are making a speech, or maybe singing, thus you want it to stop immediately.

According to the Daily Express, a sip of cold water could be very helpful because the cold water could soothe the irritation in your diaphragm that is causing it to contract involuntarily and followed by the sudden closure of your vocal cords which is why you make the "hic" sound.

There are a lot of factors that trigger you to have the hiccups such as drinking carbonated beverages or drinking too much alcohol.

Eating too much could also caused you to have the hiccups, excitement or emotional stress, sudden temperature changes or as simple as swallowing air with chewing gum or just sucking on a candy.

Aside from sipping cold water, you could also try breathing into a paper bag, or holding your breath, only for a short time of course, swallowing some granulated sugar, pulling your knees up to your chest and leaning forward, or biting on a lemon or tasting vinegar.

If none of these could alleviate your hiccups or if your hiccups last for more than 48 hours, then that is a cause for you to worry and you must visit your doctor already.

That is because hiccups could be a symptom of something more serious such as nerve damage irritation, disorders in the central nervous system, or metabolic disorders and drugs.

Also, because having the hiccups for more than 48 hours could interfere with your eating, sleeping or speech that could lead to a whole new set of health problems.

Image credit courtesy of Marco Verch/Flickr