Are there any old wives tales or stories about hiccups?

Question

Just wondering because I've had a lot of hiccups lately. For no apparent reasons really, like I got them right away this morning when I got up from bed. So I wanted to see the crazy reasons out there for hiccups.

Answer 1

Ok this is weird I know.  Ask the person who has the hiccups if they own a white horse.  I swear it works!  At least it works the first time you do it to them.  I have witnessed this several times as the person is always shocked and confused by the question, but their hiccups go away.  

Also what always works for me (since I can't ask myself if I own a white horse) is putting pressure on the diaphram.  Push in with two fingers on your diaphram hard until you feel the pulsing of the hiccups.  I brace with the other hand to really get the pressure on there.  Breathe out as far as you can and press the spot as you do so.  Hold that spot down and breathe in (holding it down while you do so).  Continue until hiccups stop (usually takes three to four breaths).

Answer 2

yeah when i was little my mom told me a story about getting rid of hiccups, at the end the boy got rid of them by sitting upside down drinking a glass of water. I guess the moral was expect the unexpected. Then my dad went missing and my mom stopped spending time with me.  

Answer 3

Have a drink through a straw with ur fingers in ur ears. Ive never tried it but it works everytime for my friend.x

Answer 4

My grandmother always told me to eat a little bit of brown sugar. Ive never asked her why but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt.

Answer 5

Hiccups are caused by a muscle spasm in your diaphragm, the muscles that is responsible for inspiration.  When I get hiccups I usually hold my breath for awhile and that helps.

Answer 6

hiccups occur due to bad digestion or a hiatus (gap) in digestive system normally trapped air

holding breath and lifting arms for a minute helps  a teaspoon of malt vinegar helps better  

Answer 7

I swear, just put your mouth over a straw with your hands in ur ears

Answer 8

Well I don't know the reason for hiccups, but I do know how to get rid of them and it always works, all you have to do is next time you get hiccups get a glass of water (Half full) but heres the trick, drink it from the FRONT of the glass so you lean forward, its best to lean over a sink whilst doing this in case any of it spills, then the hiccups stop. I think what does it is just someway that the water is swallowed.

Answer 9

Scientific explanation :

Hiccups  occur when a spasm contracts the diaphragm, a large sheet of muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. This spasm causes an intake of breath that is suddenly stopped by the closure of the vocal cords (glottis). This closure causes the characteristic "hiccup" sound.

What causes hiccups?

A very full stomach can cause bouts of hiccups that go away on their own. A full stomach can be caused by:

Eating too much food too quickly.

Drinking too much alcohol.

Swallowing too much air.

Smoking.

A sudden change in stomach temperature, such as drinking a hot beverage and then a cold beverage.

Emotional stress or excitement

Many home remedies are used to treat hiccups. Most of them involve increasing the level of carbon dioxide in the blood, which usually stops hiccups.

Some of these remedies include:

Holding your breath and counting slowly to 10.

Breathing repeatedly into a paper bag for a limited period of time.

Quickly drinking a glass of cold water.

Eating a teaspoon of sugar or honey

Old Wives Tales remedies: :

Place a piece of wet tissue on your baby’s forehead to stop hiccups

A balled up piece of thread stuck to a baby's forehead will cure hiccups or gripes

Get somebody to scare you .

Take small sips of water and spell your name, if that didn't work, then you were urged to stop breathing and hope for the best. These methods were fine if you were an adult, but can you imagine the plight of a toddler who has just learned to spell his/her name? The process seemed to take an awfully long time, and it was usually very frustrating

Hiccups - give bottle w/ warm milk; have baby wear red.