Quick, name your favorite hiccups remedy. In an interesting piece at the Atlantic, Uri Bram explores the topic scientifically known as "idiopathic persistent singultus." Given how common the malady is, "remarkably little research" has been conducted on it, writes Bram. He offers a detailed primer on what's happening in our bodies when we hiccup (it starts with a "quick spasm of the diaphragm"), but the real takeaway for readers is that two reliable cures exist, one that costs a little money and a lesser-known one that is free. The one with the price tag is the $13 HiccAway straw, with a pinhole-sized opening at the bottom and a bigger hole at top, designed to generate a precise amount of pressure on the diaphragm.
The free one (called SSMI, for supra-supramaximal inspiration) was developed by surgeon Luc Morris of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and it involves a relatively simple breathing technique:
- "First, exhale completely, then inhale a deep breath. Wait 10 seconds, then—without exhaling—inhale a little more. Wait another five seconds, then top up the breath again. Finally, exhale."
If it's simple, effective, and free, why isn't it more widely known in medical literature? As Bram explains, it's probably because no major studies have been conducted on it. It's free, after all, and "our health-care system is not designed to promote free cures." That is, a breathing technique can't be monetized. (More
hiccups stories.)
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