Know how to get rid of hiccups!

Hiccup occurs for a short period of time and they are sometimes embarrassing.

Zee Media Bureau/Irengbam Jenny

New Delhi: Everyone of us experience hiccups moment in life. They are so uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing as it would not stop. It usually occurs for a short period of time and sometimes for longer period.

Hiccup occurs when the diaphragm suddenly contracts involuntarily and at the same time the larynx contracts too and the glottis closes which effectively blocks the flow of air.

Eating or drinking too much or too quickly also causes hiccups.

How to get rid of hiccups?

One can decrease hiccupping by stimulating the nasopharynx and the vagus nerve that runs from the brain to the stomach.

Here are some things which one can do while experiencing hiccups:

Hold your breath

Quickly drink a glass of water

Let someone frighten you

Pull hard on your tongue

Bite on a lemon

Gargle with water

Drink from the far side of a glass

Use smelling salts