Last night Lisa D. got the hiccups. We yelled "BOO!" in her face, suggested all sorts of relaxation exercises, which were unfathomable in a bar full of people yelling, "Yankees suck!" And finally, Jimmy the bartender gave her a lemon wedge sprinkled with sugar and splashed with bitters.
And like that, they were gone.
So I turned to her and said, "There it is! The Question of the Day! How do you get rid of your hiccups?"
xoxo,
Suzanne
About Me
- Suzanne Casamento
- Author of Fingerprints, Choosing Tally, and All the Moments in Between. Tweet me @suzannecasamento
I have to drink ice-cold water with my head between my knees. I think it has to do with the shock of the water against the back of my throat. Who knows. But it's all that will work!
ReplyDeleteDrinking a small cup of water upside down. Sounds weird, but it works. Also, taking a few deep breaths and holding the last one for a few seconds before swallowing hard -- that works for me too.
ReplyDeleteMy wife laughs and calls it the laying on of hands, but I put a hand on my stomach - for warmth and concentration - and I do some meditation breathing while imagining sending the hiccups to the center of the earth. It's a way to calm my body, but it does seem rather woo-woo.
ReplyDeleteOf course, when I tried it on her, she couldn't stop laughing long enough to calm down.
Hold my breath!Work like 50% of the time. lol.
ReplyDeleteHow funny, I was just talking about this with a friend a couple of hours ago. Like Rena, I also drink water upside down. The friend I was talking with puts a napkin over her glass and drinks water through it.
ReplyDeleteA spoonful of sugar works for me (I know, it's supposed to help the medicine go down but it really does work on my hiccups). Another cool trick...(note: you can't do it on yourself and it pretty much only works once per person - but it really works!) When I hear someone hiccuping (whether I know them or not), I will say, "Quick, name 5 things that swim in the ocean!" They usually stop & think & by the time they're on to the 5th thing, the hiccups are gone. It's all about shocking & re-directing the system.
ReplyDeleteI've used the lemon trick, but it doesn't always work for me. What has worked everytime is to get a tall glass of water, plug your ears with your fingers, and drink the entire glass of water with a straw in one sip.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm half Chinese so I'm giving you one of my Ancient Chinese secrets! Consider yourself lucky ;).
ReplyDeleteI fill a medium sized cup full of water and put a knife in it. Then you drink the water all in one go! No breathing allowed!! I've forgotten what the knife signifies . . . cutting out the hiccups? I have no idea.
Another Chinese remedy is sucking on ginger root. I'm not a fan of this remedy. I'd rather chug some water.
Oh! And I think the water trick works with or without the knife but don't tell my grandma that!
ReplyDeleteThe person hiccupping says, "I have the hiccups." I reply, "No you don't!" in a semi-accusatory/prove-it tone of voice. The hiccups cease. Works like a charm. :)
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