It has happened to all of us on occasion that we are quietly having dinner with our partner or some friends and, suddenly, in the middle of a sentence, a “hip” escapes you without your being able to avoid it. This sound that comes from within us, that comes out of our throat when we least expect it, is commonly known as hiccups and occurs when our diaphragm contracts involuntarily. In most cases, hiccup attacks stop spontaneously within minutes after they start. However, is there an instant way to cut it?
There are some tricks and remedies that can help you cut your hiccups quickly, especially in cases where it doesn’t quite go away. Among the most effective tricks we find the lemon that thanks to some of its nutrients, has the ability to stop this annoying sound. That is why, in this article, we show you how to remove hiccups with lemon quickly and easily.
Main causes of hiccups
Hiccups, although it seems that it occurs in a totally accidental way, is caused when our diaphragm, a muscle found in the lower part of the lungs, contracts in an involuntary and spasmodic way. This contraction is what causes an air flow in the form of spasms, which causes a closure of our vocal cords, finally giving that annoying sound.
This sudden contraction of the diaphragm and, consequently, the appearance of hiccups, is caused by the following causes:
- Drinks or soft drinks with a high content of gas.
- Foods with too much seasoning or very hot spices.
- Eating too fast or consuming more food than we actually need.
- Have a drink really fast.
- When we have a sudden fit of laughter or crying.
- People who are nervous or with high levels of stress are more prone to hiccups.
- Sudden changes in temperature.
- Some respiratory and / or digestive diseases can generate this type of noise.
How to remove hiccups with lemon – step by step
Lemon is one of the best known remedies to quickly cut hiccups. This fruit is rich in different acids, which can excite our taste buds. That is, if you take a little lemon, the body, instead of being focused on generating those uncomfortable sounds, will focus on the acidic flavor of this fruit. Therefore, the acidic effect of lemon will alleviate hiccups.
To carry out this remedy you will only need a whole lemon and follow the following steps:
- Take a ripe lemon, since they tend to have a higher concentration of juice, and squeeze it into a glass until you get all its juice.
- Remove the seeds that may have fallen into the glass where the juice is.
- Finally, once you have the lemon juice ready, you will have to take it by taking large sips.
- Every sip of this drink you will have to do it without breathing and, just when you swallow it, you must release all the air immediately.
Other ways to remove hiccups with lemon
If you can’t stand the acidity of the lemon, you can also try the following tricks with this fruit to eliminate hiccups:
- Fill a spoon with sugar and squeeze the juice of a lemon over it until the utensil is completely soaked. Then you will have to take the mixture and keep it in your mouth until it dissolves little by little.
- Cut a lemon wedge and slowly suck its juice. If the taste is too acidic for you, you can try adding a little sugar or salt.
- Finally, you can also try extracting the juice from this fruit and diluting it in half a glass of water. Then you will have to drink all the content in one go quickly.
Other remedies to remove hiccups
In addition to the remedies that we have explained in the previous sections, you can also try some of the following tricks in case the lemon has not taken effect:
- Take a bag, either paper or plastic, and breathe repeatedly into it.
- Drink a full glass of cold water in one fell swoop and without breathing.
- Stretch the diaphragm: to do this, you must slowly inhale as much air as you can, hold it for 30 seconds and expel it little by little until you notice that your lungs are empty.
- Try taking a tablespoon of honey, nutella, or almond butter. Leave it in your mouth for a few seconds and then swallow it without actually chewing it. It is another way to distract our body from hiccups.
- Pinch the bumps on your ears with your thumbs, close your eyes, and inhale as much air as you can. Hold your breath for as long as you can and blow it out when you can’t take it anymore.
