Holding your breath, drinking water, or getting scared - how do you beat those pesky hiccups?
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - There's nothing like having a nice meal and all of a sudden - hiccups hit.
Persistent and relentless what did you do to cause them, can they be harmful, and how do you stop them?
It's rare to find a person who has never experienced hiccups because they are caused by consumption.
"Drinking carbonated beverages, drinking a large amount of alcoholic beverages, or eating too fast and large meals can also trigger the hiccup process," explained Dr. Shahin Ayazi from the Allegheny Health Network Esophageal Institute.
Dr. Ayazi said they are really only a concern once you've had them for 48 hours - yes, they can last that long.
"The longest case recorded in the Guinness Book of Records is 69 years and nine months," Dr. Ayazi said.
Since no one wants to suffer that long, how do you get rid of them?
We asked plenty of people and got answers ranging from holding your breath, drinking water, biting on a lemon, sugar under your tongue, and just letting go and waiting them out.
Dr. Ayazi said that breathing into a bag gives your diaphragm a chance to relax.
"Same thing with squeezing your nose," Dr. Ayazi said. "Especially if you try to exhale forcefully against a closed nose."
He did say that none of these methods have been scientifically proven but all of them can interrupt our breathing and ideally stop those hiccups.
For most of us, hiccups will resolve relatively quickly, but Dr. Ayazi said if it persists for more than 48 hours, go see a doctor.
Now, hiccups could be a sign of other problems, and Dr. Ayazi said if you have more than just an occasional bout with hiccups, bring that up next time you see your doctor.
