One Extra Treatment for Hiccups

I’ve written beforehand about how Paul Ingraham helped treatment my patello-femoral ache syndrome.

Extra just lately, Paul regarded into hiccup cures as a result of his father had an intractable case. What lastly labored for dad? Respiration right into a plastic bag.

Boosting blood CO2 (hypercapnia) by inhaling a PLASTIC bag. This one is kind of believable and is simple and secure to strive. Hypercapnia undoubtedly impacts some sorts of hiccups. The story (from a wise supply, an excellent “good friend of PainSci”): “There’s a good simpler method out of hiccups — at zero price. Discovered it from my uncle, who studied medication in Brazil within the 50s. Anesthetized sufferers with hiccups have been in ache, so that they wanted to eliminate it ASAP. Technique: breathe in a PLASTIC bag, sufficiently small so that you can get hypercapnia (get larger blood ranges of CO2). You need to maintain the bag REALLY tight round your nostril and mouth to forestall air from escaping, and when you have hassle with dizziness, it is advisable to sit down down for it. As quickly because it will get uncomfortable, principally after 4-6 breaths, you may cease, the hiccup will probably be gone. I do not know what this does to the phrenic nerve, but it surely works 100%.”

Security Notes: Clearly there could possibly be some hazard with this technique. If he’d had low O2 or was struggling for breath, we doubtless would not have dared. (Alternatively, if he’d been in that state, he would’ve been on the hospital.) However he was supervised, with no risk of getting caught, and a matter of only some breaths. Maybe there was nonetheless some threat… however I believe not treating these hiccups was additionally a threat.

I’ve by no means tried that technique for my hiccups. My private favourite dwelling treatment is “ingesting from the far aspect of the glass.” AKA, ingesting water the other way up. Watch this video of an excellent ol’ boy demonstrating the approach though I’d intention for ingesting at the very least 6-8 fl oz of water earlier than quitting. Do not ask me the way it works; it might have one thing to do with the taste bud or diaphragm.

Steve Parker, M.D