• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Science / What is the best way to cure the hiccups?

What is the best way to cure the hiccups?

March 9, 2020 by Karen Hill

Hiccups are muscle spasms in the diaphragm and throat, and it happens to us at the worst times, when we least expect it.

The large muscle at the bottom of your chest cavity sometimes spasms (as do most all of the muscles in the body, at one time or another). When this happens, air gets sucked in through the mouth.

The air never actually reaches the lungs because another spasm occurs in the muscles of the throat at the same time. Any number of remedies are suggested to stop hiccups.

Some of the more common ones include breathing into a paper bag, drinking a big glass of water (sometimes from the opposite side of the glass—or is that just a practical joke?), and massaging your belly.

But basically the same principle works here as with other muscle spasms: If you relax, calm down, take your mind off of the hiccups, and get on with your activities, the diaphragm will stop spasming all on its own.

Having said that, though, here is the only cure for hiccups we know of that actually works time after time.

We call it the Mary Poppins Cure, after the song from the movie: take a “spoonful of sugar” and swallow it dry. Your hiccups will be gone in seconds.

Related Facts

  • What Causes Hiccups, How Do You Get Rid Of Hiccups, and What Is the Best Cure For Hiccups?
  • Can hiccups kill you and what causes hiccups?
  • How Old Is the Milky Way Galaxy, How Big Is the Milky Way, and How Many Stars Does the Milky Way Contain?
  • Which Way Is the Milky Way Galaxy Moving and How Long Does It Take For the Milky Way To Rotate?
  • What Is the Best Way To See the Planet Mercury From Earth and When Is the Best Time Of Day To Look At Mercury?
  • What is the Best Way to Make Mashed Potatoes and What is the Best Potato Masher to Use?

Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why is the study of weather called meteorology and where did the term come from?
Next Post: Why does my stomach growl when I’m hungry and when I eat a lot? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy