The only thing worse than dropping your phone on a night out (and praying it doesn’t crack) is getting the hiccups. Hiccups are always annoying but there seems to be something that makes them more intense after a couple of drinks. We’re talking full-body hiccups that leave you incapable of completing a sentence.
More and more I find myself getting these reoccurring spontaneous hiccup blitzes and can’t help but feel not only annoyed, but embarrassed. I know that I am not “shwasted” but my mind runs back to childhood cartoons that show every drunk stumbling through the room with a case of high-pitched hiccups.
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So am I actually drinking myself into the hiccups? Actually, yes. A hiccup is a result of a spasm in the diaphragm which sits right between the stomach and lungs. The spasms are caused by an irritation to the diaphragm. These irritations can come from either eating too quickly, experiencing anxiety or excitement, or swallowing too much air, usually from carbonation.
So yes, chugging that beer or gulping that Jack and Coke may cause an intense attack right when you’re about to clinch the beer pong table. We all have our go to hiccup-hack, but here are some of the most successful and sensible solutions to accomplish when you are a few rounds in.
Drink a Glass of Water Quickly
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This helps put your abdominal muscles to work and holds a distraction for them. This may or may not be obvious, but quickly drinking a glass of water will not solve the problem. It’s also suggested to plug your ears while drinking through a straw, go figure.
Find a Pressure Point
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The easiest one to locate is the philtrum which sits in the groove between your nose and your mouth. Holding down on the point for 20-30 seconds may end the hiccup battle.
Make Yourself Cough or Sneeze
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This again will use your abdominal muscles to distract from the spasms. Remember to excuse yourself from a conversation before you start openly coughing on someone.
Cover Your Mouth
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Cover your mouth and nose but don’t hold your breath. Continue with a normal breathing rhythm and supposedly the increase in carbon dioxide will stop your hiccups.
Distract yourself
This has always worked the best for me. This earns extra points by also doubling as a form of entertainment for the party while you recount the last time you saw a squirrel, attempt the ABCs backwards, or gargle some water.
Sit and Bring Your Knees to Your Chest
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By changing your sitting position you are compressing the diaphragm a little which allows you to control the spasms more easily.
Suck on a Lemon
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The intense sour taste causes a similar reaction that scaring an individual would have. We like this option better because whenever you tell a friend to scare you they miserably fail.