Does drinking water fight hiccups? Find out what really works!

O hiccup it is a very common situation, especially after the consumption of fizzy drinks or a heavy diet. It is about a diaphragm muscle spasm, which divides the abdomen from the thorax. The combination of diaphragmatic spasm with very rapid closure of the glottis (throat muscle) generates the noise we call a hiccup.

In an attempt to contain the hiccup, it is common for people to drink water. But does drinking water really help fight hiccups? According to Sérgio Alexandre, an endoscopist, yes.

“The diaphragm is predominantly innervated by the phrenic nerve and by some fibers of the vagus nerve, which also innervate the gastrointestinal tract. When taking ice water, this thermal stimulus can regularize the movements of the diaphragm, interrupting the hiccups. That’s why cold water can improve hiccups, precisely because of the thermal issue”, explains the specialist.

What NOT to do to try to fight hiccups?

You’ve probably heard the expression “take a fright that the hiccup passes!”. Although many people believe it, the statement is nothing more than a popular myth not recommended. “The fright needs to be very great to be able to have an effect of increasing circulating adrenaline in the blood, which could interfere with the hiccup and end it”.

The doctor explains that, in fact, the fright does not reach that level, so it is not recommended. In addition, other popular measures such as drink water upside down or drink liquids in large quantities they are not useful to combat hiccups.

What can really work to combat hiccups?

A form of prevention, according to the specialist, is decrease the amount of stomach contents. “By having a meal in adequate quantity, without exaggeration and, preferably, without large amounts of liquids – in particular, gaseous ones – you help to avoid triggering the hiccup”.

For those who already have hiccups, some gastric emptying mechanisms, such as the use of gas release medications (dimethicone, simethicone), may help. Of course, always with medical guidance.

“This type of medicine decreases the surface tension of the bubbles, which form gastric distention, and this decreases this distension, taking the stomach out of contact with the diaphragm, reducing the contraction stimulus of this muscle (of the diaphragm) that generates the hiccup”.

Furthermore, holding your breath can also help. “This maneuver stimulates the vagus nerve and, by raising parts of the diaphragm, it can also reduce spasms”.

Learn more: Bolsonaro’s Hiccup: What Can Cause Persistent Hiccups?

How to stop hiccups in babies?

When it comes to babies, both their digestive and neurological systems are still immature. Therefore, hiccups in newborns are much more common. “The recommendation for babies and children is, in fact, to be a little calm and wait for the time for that stomach to empty. In addition, when you burp the baby, it also decreases gastric distention and can improve hiccups”.