Let’s face it: hiccups can show up at the worst possible moments—during a big presentation, a romantic dinner, or right when you’re trying to fall asleep. Though these spasms of the diaphragm are usually harmless, they can still be incredibly frustrating. But there’s hope on the horizon! According to Dr. Stephen Stacey, a physician at the Mayo Clinic in La Crosse, Wisconsin, we might finally be closer to a real cure.
Hiccups: Common Yet Mysterious
Hiccups are so common that it’s tough to pin down exactly how many people get them and how frequently. Dr. Stacey explains:
“We don’t really know exactly how common hiccups are because they are so common.”
Despite the universal experience of hiccups, they typically don’t cause major health issues—so researchers haven’t invested much time or money into studying them. As Dr. Stacey puts it:
“They don’t really cause that much harm, so people haven’t really done a lot of research to see how common they are.”
Why Do We Get Them in the First Place?
The root cause of hiccups is still somewhat of a puzzle, but one thing we do know: they start before we’re even born.
“It may be the nervous system and the muscle just practicing before they put on the big show at birth,” — Dr. Stephen Stacey
In other words, our bodies could be fine-tuning the diaphragm and related nerves even before we enter the world.
Folk Remedies: Do They Actually Work?
For years, we’ve relied on all sorts of quirky methods to banish the hiccups:
Jump Scares: The idea here is that getting startled may force a breath-hold, increasing carbon dioxide levels in the blood and stopping hiccups.
Believe it or not, there might be some truth to this.
Hanging Upside Down: Despite its popularity, Dr. Stacey says there’s no scientific evidence to back this one.
Drinking Water: Chugging water can help you hold your breath, again boosting carbon dioxide in your bloodstream. This method has “the most evidence behind it,” according to Dr. Stacey.
A Doctor-Confirmed Method
Dr. Stacey and his research partner recently took the quest for a hiccup cure a step further. They developed and tested a breathing technique on multiple people and found it worked every single time:
“We tried that on a lot of different people and it worked for all of them.”
Step-by-Step Guide
Breathe In Deeply: Inhale, but keep your throat open as if you’re about to speak.
Focus on the Diaphragm: Continue inhaling (even if no more air is really coming in) for about 30 seconds. The goal is to keep your diaphragm engaged.
Exhale Slowly: With your throat still open, release your breath gently.
The magic, according to Dr. Stacey, is that this method temporarily raises the acid level in your blood (i.e., carbon dioxide) and interrupts the hiccup cycle by resetting your diaphragm.
Another Trick: The Water Chug
Another way to achieve a similar effect is by downing a full glass of water without pausing for air. This also forces you to hold your breath a bit longer, potentially knocking out those stubborn hiccups.
Why Aren’t There More Studies?
You might wonder why, if hiccups are so common, there isn’t more robust research. The tricky part is you have to catch people in the act of hiccupping—an event that tends to come and go unpredictably. Dr. Stacey’s team worked with patients who happened to have hiccups in their clinic, allowing them to test the breathing technique on the spot.
Final Thoughts
Dr. Stacey hopes more people will learn about his method and give it a try:
“People need to know about this.”
While hiccups generally don’t cause long-term harm, they can be annoying or disruptive in everyday life. If you find yourself tormented by an endless bout, consider testing Dr. Stacey’s scientifically studied breathing technique or chugging a tall glass of water in one go. And remember, if hiccups ever last more than 48 hours, it’s worth consulting a healthcare professional—just to be on the safe side.
Next time your diaphragm decides to throw a fit, you’ll have a proven game plan ready to go. Happy hiccup-free living!