15 Home Remedies to How to Get Rid of Hiccups

how to get rid of hiccups

There is no end to the advice you will receive from anyone and everyone around you whenever hiccups suddenly hit. Some of the advice you receive on how to get rid of hiccups is good advice and some of it is just silliness. Here are 15 home remedies that really do work.

It has been shown that frequent and long-lasting bouts of hiccups combined with vomiting and headaches could be an indicator of other serious conditions for which you should consult the advice and treatment of a healthcare professional.

Hiccup process illustration

1. Breathe In a Paper Bag

You have probably seen people use this technique to prevent hyperventilation from an anxiety attack. Breathing in a paper bag also works to get rid of hiccups. Not only does this refocus your attention, but it also introduces more carbon dioxide into your lungs and, more or less, makes your diaphragm contract more deeply and reset its rhythm.

What to do:

  • Press and hold a small paper bag around your nose and mouth.
  • Breathe in deeply and then exhale completely.
  • Repeat this pattern of breathing 6 to 8 times.

2. Lemon

Believe it or not, you can get rid of hiccups using a lemon or lemon juice. The sour taste of lemon, which makes most people pucker, also makes most people gasp, shocking the spasm in your diaphragm to suddenly stop its erratic pattern.

What to do:

  • Take a bite out of a slice of lemon and start chewing (if you’re able).
  • As an alternative, you can place ½ tsp of undiluted lemon juice in your mouth.

lemon juice and lemons

3. Chamomile

An essential oil that is especially useful when it comes to how to get rid of hiccups is chamomile. Most people are well aware of its relaxing properties in a cup of tea, but it can also help relax your diaphragm and stop hiccups.

What to do:

  • You can put a couple of drops chamomile essential into a paper bag and utilize the paper bag method mentioned earlier.
  • A simpler method is to place a couple of drops of chamomile oil into the palm of one hand, rub your palms together, and then breathe deeply while cupping your hands over your nose and mouth.

4. Cardamom

Like chamomile, cardamom is also an effective home remedy for getting rid of hiccups. Cardamom has anti-spasmodic and muscle relaxing properties which will help alleviate the cause of your problem.

What to do:

  • Mix 1 tsp of cardamom powder in a glass of warm water.
  • Stir continually and slowly drink the mixture.
  • As an alternative, you can utilize cardamom essential oil in either of the manners described for chamomile earlier.

5. Distract Your Mind

Often times the vast number of different suggestions on how to get rid of hiccups which you receive at the moment actually do the trick because they distract your mind. The typical reaction to hiccups is to attempt to anticipate them, which only makes things worse. Turning your mind away from the hiccups typically helps relieve them quicker.

What to do:

  • Inhale and hold your breath as long as you can without allowing any air to escape.
  • Concentrate very hard on trying to release the breath slowly when you feel like you cannot hold your breath any longer.
  • Repeat this several times.

6. Vinegar

Getting rid of hiccups can also be accomplished using vinegar. Similar to lemon, the sharp, sour taste often causes a person to gasp, which tends to interrupt the diaphragmatic spasm causing the hiccups.

What to do:

  • Quickly swallow ½ tsp of vinegar and follow it with a glass of water.
  • An alternative is to mix 1 tsp of vinegar in a glass of warm water and sip it slowly.

apple cider vinegar next to apples on table

7. Peanut Butter

The tastiest home remedy for how to get rid of hiccups is peanut butter. The gooey consistency of peanut butter and other nut kinds of butter interrupts your breathing pattern when you attempt to swallow it, thus resetting your diaphragm’s natural rhythm.

What to do:

  • Scoop about 1 tsp of peanut butter (or other nut butter) from a jar and put it in your mouth.
  • Hold it in your mouth a couple of seconds without chewing, and then try to swallow it.
  • Chase the peanut butter with a glass of water.

8. Sugar

Often times sugar is a readily available remedy for getting rid of hiccups. The vagus nerve, part of the involuntary nervous system, can often be quickly stimulated by swallowing sugar. By stimulating the vagus nerve, you essentially hit the nervous system reset button.

What to do:

  • Put a spoon with 1 tsp of white or brown sugar in your mouth.
  • Keep the spoon in your mouth to prevent you from trying to chew.
  • Allow the sugar to dissolve in your mouth.

Note: This is not a good option if you are diabetic or hypoglycemic.

9. Ice Water

A simple remedy for how to get rid of hiccups comes in the form of ice water. The extreme shock of ice water can shock your body and provides enough distraction to get rid of hiccups.

What to do:

  • Quickly drink a glass of ice-cold water (remove the ice cubes so you don’t choke on them).
  • As an alternative, you can gargle ice water for a minute or so.

10. Ginger

Ginger can play a role in both preventing and getting rid of hiccups. Hiccups are sometimes caused by improper digestion or a buildup of gastrointestinal gas. Ginger can help to prevent and relieve both of those conditions as well as the hiccups.

What to do:

  • The quick method for getting rid of hiccups is to peel a half-inch long finger of ginger root, put it in your mouth, chew thoroughly and swallow.
  • You can brew ginger tea and drink it after meals in order to prevent the onset of digestion and gas issues.

ginger pieces on a wooden board

11. Be Aware of Your Eating

Related to the remedy for getting rid of hiccups above is being aware of how you eat. Two issues tend to lead to hiccups: eating too quickly without properly chewing your food and overeating.

What to do:

  • Avoid overeating.
  • In addition, be sure to chew your food thoroughly before swallowing. Ohio State University experts recommend 5 to 10 times for softer foods and 30 or more times for more dense foods.

12. Hot Sauce

We have discussed the shock method for how to get rid of hiccups and hot sauce is certainly a great option to add to that list. Just like with ice, lemon, and vinegar, the shock of hot sauce tends to make a person gasp and helps to reset the proper rhythm of the diaphragm.

What to do:

  • Place ½ tsp of liquid hot sauce in your mouth and then swallow it.
  • Chase the hot sauce with a glass of milk or crackers to cool the spice (water just spreads the spice around).
  • As an alternative, you can bite off the tip of a jalapeno or other spicy pepper, chew it thoroughly and swallow.

13. Honey

Honey can also help get rid of hiccups. Just like with sugar, the intensity of the sweetness of honey helps to stimulate the vagus nerve and cause your involuntary nervous system to more or less reset.

What to do:

  • Place 1 tsp full of honey in your mouth.
  • Leave the spoon in your mouth to help prevent chewing or swallowing.
  • Allow the honey to dissolve on its own and then swallow it.
  • An alternative is to stir 1 Tbsp of honey in a glass of warm water and drink it.

honey syrup

14. Dill Seeds

Another method for getting rid of hiccups which also works well is chewing dill seeds. The intensity of the flavor of dill seeds also helps to stimulate the vagus nerve to help stop the nervous system spasm in your diaphragm.

What to do:

  • Place 1 tsp of dill seeds in your mouth.
  • Slowly and thoroughly chew the dill seeds before swallowing.

15. Paper Towel and a Glass of Water

The final home remedy on our list of how to get rid of hiccups is also quite effective. By attempting to drink water through a paper towel, you are forced to pull harder and also focus your concentration on trying to drink the water, the combination of these two helps to counteract the muscle spasms in your diaphragm which are causing the hiccups.

What to do:

  • Place a single layer of regular absorbency paper towel over the top of a glass, holding it in place or securing it with a rubber band.
  • Drink the glass of water through the paper towel until the glass is empty.

Note: Double or super absorbent paper towels might make this nearly impossible.

Conclusion

Hiccups rarely pose any sort of health risk, though they can mean that you are not properly chewing and digesting your food, but they are certainly irritating. Armed with our 15 home remedies for how to get rid of hiccups you can quickly and easily eliminate this irritating problem and get back into your regular routine. Be sure to add your favorite home remedies, comments, questions and success stories in the comments section below.

Images source: depositphotos.com