16 Natural Remedies for the Hiccups

Hiccups might be perfectly harmless, but as anyone who has suffered from them will know, they’re also among the most frustrating things that we have to deal with on a regular basis.

This might explain why there are so many different tricks, remedies and old wive’s tales that claim they can help us to overcome the frustrating sensation. But do any of them work? And which are the most helpful. Moreover… how can they possibly work?

One thing that can help, is to understand precisely what causes the hiccups in the first place. These are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. This is the muscle that is responsible for pushing air out of the lungs and it is found just above the abdominal cavity. Many things can trigger this irritation which include smoking, drinking too much alcohol, dehydration and even chewing gum.

Often though, the spasms appear to come out of nowhere in just the same way that your eye might start twitching or you might suddenly find yourself with an acute bout of cramp. Whatever the cause, we’re going to examine some natural remedies in this comprehensive guide. 16 of them to be precise!

1.  Drink Backwards

One popular trick which my Mum always used to encourage, is to try drinking out of a glass backwards. In other words, you are aiming to drink out of the glass ‘from the wrong side’. Take your glass of water, then lean over it as far as you can and wrap your lips around the far side of the rim. You should have your upper lip on the outside of the glass and your lower lip on the inside. Now bend right over and drink. You’ll feel the water running out of your nose as it passes through your nasal cavity.

Often, when you right yourself again, you’ll find that the hiccups are gone!