The most effective treatment for hiccups is to eliminate its cause, either by eating in small quantities, avoiding carbonated drinks or treating an infection, for example. The use of medicines, such as Plasil or Amplictil, is only indicated for people with persistent or chronic hiccups, which lasts more than 2 days.
However, most of the time, the hiccup lasts for a few minutes, with no treatment needed, except for some homemade measures to make it last less time, such as drinking a glass of cold water, holding your breath or breathing in a bag for a few minutes. Check out our tips for stopping hiccups quickly.
Main remedies for hiccups
When the hiccup is persistent, lasting more than 2 days, it is necessary to seek assistance from the general practitioner, who may recommend the use of some pharmacy remedies, such as:
- Chlorpropamide (Amplictil); Haloperidol (Haldol); Metoclopramide (Plasil).
These drugs act directly on the nervous system and help to control the stimuli that cause hiccups, being used in most cases.
In the most severe cases, the doctor can also guide the use of anticonvulsants and potent relaxants, such as Phenytoin, Gabapentin or Baclofen, for example, capable of controlling neuronal impulses.
Homemade options for hiccups
A great natural treatment for hiccups is to learn how to control breathing, using yoga or pilates techniques, for example, as it makes the person able to dilate the diaphragm and better control the respiratory muscles.
A good example of this is the 4-16-8 breath, in which you should inhale the air counting to 4, hold your breath counting to 16, and release the air counting to 8. The breath must be very deep, using, for this, the abdomen and the entire chest, and the air must also be completely expelled during exhalation.
Other homemade options to treat hiccups are:
- Drink a glass of ice water, or suck on ice; Hold your breath as much as you can; Breathe in a paper bag for a few moments.
In addition, it is possible to use a technique to cover your nose with your hands and apply force to release the air, contracting your chest, called the Valsalva maneuver. Check out these and other tips on home remedy to cure hiccups.
How to avoid hiccups
Hiccups are mainly caused by inflammations, infections or irritations of the chest and gastro-intestinal tract, so before using drugs, the doctor may recommend some measures to eliminate their cause and allow treatment to be more effective., how:
- Eat in small quantities and slowly, as eating too fast or in excess causes the stomach to dilate; Avoid carbonated or alcoholic beverages to reduce reflux; Treat other diseases that may be causing the hiccup, such as pneumonia, gastroenteritis, meningitis, otitis, cholecystitis, changes in blood electrolytes or kidney failure, for example. Understand more about these and other situations that are causes of hiccups.
Other alternative treatment options, which can have good results, are hypnosis or acupuncture sessions, capable of stimulating sensations, perceptions and thoughts, useful in the control of stimuli and spasms of the chest muscles.
