Hiccups have got to be one of the most annoying things ever. They jolt your body, make you sound ridiculous when you're talking, and there's simply no way to look cool or composed when you have them. You'd think after all these years, science would have come up with some way to stop them, but there's no official cure as of yet.
That doesn't mean people aren't trying. Earlier this month John R. Talbott divulged his sure-fire technique for curing the hiccups in a piece for the Huffington Post. It's simple, but he claims it to be effective. He states: "Simply take the hand of the person afflicted and squeeze hard on the surface of the fingernail of the pinky finger for ten seconds. That's it."
He says it works because of acupuncture points … or because it's magic. Either way it's worth a try — as are these other 29 "cures" for hiccups I've heard.
1. Just tell yourself not to hiccup.
2. Think of all the bald men you know.
3. Blow on your thumb.
4. Laugh.
5. Cough.
6. Stand on your head.
7. Rub your ear lobes.
8. Sing loudly.
9. Eat a spoonful of sugar (Bonus points for singing "A Spoonful of Sugar" loudly while doing so?)
10. Eat peanut butter.
11. Drink from the opposite side of a cup.
12. Hold your breath while plugging your ears and your nose (takes skill).
13. Have someone scare you.
14. Spin around clockwise while rubbing your stomach counter-clockwise.
15. Breath into a paper bag.
16. Use a hiccup stick (yes, it's a real thing).
17. Stick out your tongue as far it will go and pull on it.
18. Suck on a lemon.
19. Drink some vinegar.
20. Do some heavy kissing.
21. Put a paper towel over the top of a glass and drink through it.
22. Pray them away.
23. Try a Hiccupop — a lollipop designed specifically to get rid of hiccups.
24. Try to yell "now!" right before you hiccup each time.
25. Suck on a pickle.
26. Gargle ice water.
27. Burp.
28. Have someone give you a big bear hug.
29. Just be patient.
The good news is that if none of these techniques works on their own, by the time you've tried them all, your hiccups will likely be gone.
What hiccup cures do you swear by?
Image via Sonya Green/Flickr
