No one knows precisely how hiccups are caused—eating, drinking, talking, laughing, swallowing air, anxiety are all possibilities— but they’re jolly annoying, even if they do provide much merriment for anyone witnessing them. Anyway, here is a list of ‘cures’ that no-doubt someone somewhere swears by :

pin32Eating a tablespoon of peanut butter.

pin32Pinching your nose while you drink water.

pin32Pinching the back of your shoulder until it hurts (this works because the nerves that control your diaphragm come from the same place).

pin32Exhaling as hard as you can and then holding your breath.

pin32Coughing or sneezing.

pin32Swallowing a teaspoon of sugar.

pin32Holding the tongue with your thumb and index finger and gently pulling it forward.

pin32Getting someone to drop an ice cube down your back.

pin32Laughing.

pin32Hyperventilating (which has the unfortunate side effect of giving you a panic attack).

pin32Mass practice—i.e., trying to hiccup as much as possible.

pin32Breathing into a paper bag.

pin32Chewing gum.

pin32Immersing your face in iced water.

pin32Gargling.

pin32Drinking a glass of water while someone presses your ears closed.

pin32Drinking water from the far side of a glass (so that you’re drinking upside down).


This last one is my own favorite – Well, it works for me.