Ever found yourself hiccuping uncontrollably at the most inconvenient moments? Whether it’s right after chowing down your meal too quickly or after a quick drink at the bar, hiccups seem to come out of nowhere and refuse to leave, often leading to some awkward social situations. They’re notoriously hard to stop, and while the classic scare tactic is a well-known remedy, let’s face it, how often does that actually work?
Well, for those who find traditional methods ineffective, there’s good news. Researchers have recently pinpointed what they’re calling a ‘100 per cent cure rate’ method to banish hiccups. And surprisingly, the solution is pretty straightforward, involving just a few simple steps.
Scientists have finally cracked the code on hiccups.
Here’s how you can kick those annoying hiccups to the curb:
Step 1: Completely exhale to empty your lungs.
Step 2: Deeply inhale and hold your breath for a few seconds.
Step 3: Without releasing any air, take in a bit more breath and hold again for several seconds.
Step 4: Repeat step three.
This breakthrough comes thanks to the insights of Ali Seifi, a well-known inventor and entrepreneur, who is arguably the leading expert on hiccups. “They can have different frequencies, but 10 times per minute is most common,” Seifi explained in a study. “I don’t know how God created that, but most of the time they’re equally spaced.”
But this raises another question: Why do we hiccup in the first place?
While there are various theories, one particularly intriguing idea suggests that hiccups are a throwback to our evolutionary past—not from the times of early primates, but from an era when our ancestors were transitioning from life in water to land.
Try this method next time you have hiccups.
According to experts, the ‘hic’ sound occurs when our windpipe closes to prevent anything from slipping down into our lungs. “The first air-breathing fish and amphibians extracted oxygen using gills when in the water and primitive lungs when on land. To manage this, they needed to be able to close the glottis, or entrance to the lungs, while underwater,” explained Robb Dunn, a researcher in the field.
He added, “The entryway to the lungs had to be shut tight while underwater. These creatures would push water past their gills while simultaneously closing the glottis.”
Thus, our frustrating hiccups are essentially remnants of this ancient mechanism, a vestige of our evolutionary history. When we hiccup, we use those same old muscles to quickly close the glottis, though today it’s air we’re sucking in, not water.
So next time those pesky hiccups start, give this scientifically-backed method a try. Not only might you stop the hiccups, but you’ll also be tapping into a deep, primordial part of our shared history.