Do you find yourself getting hiccups every time you drink alcohol? Here’s everything you need to know about alcohol hiccups and how to get rid of them.
Understanding Hiccups
Of course, you can get hiccups whether or not you drink alcohol.
Regardless of whether you eat spicy foods, drink alcohol, or eat too much, hiccups result from irritation to nerves in the abdomen, gastrointestinal tract, and the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a large, horizontal muscle that stretches beneath your lungs and helps you to breathe. When you breathe in, your lungs expand, and the diaphragm expands downwards so your lungs have more space to inflate. When you breathe out and your lungs shrink, the diaphragm curves up inward to support the lungs.
When you get hiccups, irritation to nerves in the abdomen disrupt normal breathing patterns. As a result, the diaphragm will start to spasm.
As you hiccup, the diaphragm contracts and air rushes into the lungs. At the same time, the glottis, a flap of cartilage at the back of the throat, closes. The air rushing in hits the glottis, producing a “hic” sound, hence the name hiccups.
Does Alcohol Cause Hiccups?
If you are wondering why alcohol causes hiccups, a contributing factor is that alcohol tends to irritate nerves in the gastrointestinal tract. This irritation can trigger the body into a hiccup breathing pattern, where the diaphragm continues to contract involuntarily. The air in carbonated beverages can cause a similar effect.
Acid Reflux
When drinking alcohol, you may experience acid reflux, a phenomenon where acid from the stomach splashes up into your esophagus, causing a burning sensation.
Too much alcohol consumption can lead to acid reflux and other inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, which irritates nerves in the abdomen. Naturally, you will be more likely to get hiccups as a result of this irritation. It may also be especially difficult to get rid of hiccups in the case of acid reflux because of the repeated irritation to nerves involved in the hiccup reflex.
How to Get Rid of Hiccups from Drinking
Hiccups have long been subjected to pseudoscience and old wive’s tales–-chugging a glass of water upside down, eating spoonfuls of sticky peanut butter, you get the gist. While these approaches may work for some people sometimes, they are not a one-size-fits-all approach.
That’s why we made Hiccupops. Our lollipops are backed by science to stop hiccups within seconds, making them a convenient, delicious solution–especially for hiccups induced by alcohol. When you get hiccups while drinking, you’re usually in a social setting like a bar or restaurant, where you don’t have a jar of peanut butter on you, nor is it appropriate to start drinking water upside down. If you’re looking for how to fix alcohol hiccups, Hiccupops are quick, easy to use, and convenient.
