There’s nothing worse than an episode of uninvited, irritating hiccups. As soon as you get that first spasm and hear that strange noise, it’s almost inevitable that another one is coming. Before you know it, the first hiccup is followed by a second one, a third, and so forth.

Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio | As soon as you get that first hiccup, it’s almost inevitable that another one is coming

Annoying as they might be, there is a silver lining here because medical professionals deem hiccups to be quite harmless and can be resolved in a quick fashion. In case you’re wondering what we’re leading up to, here are a few hacks you can try the next time you have a run-in with the hiccups.

Eating Dry Cocoa Powder

Can’t find a box of cocoa powder in your pantry? Any other chocolate drink such as milo can also do the trick. Simply swallow a spoonful of either dry milo powder or cocoa powder to get rid of hiccups in a jiffy.

Pexels/Lisa Fotios | It might seem a little ridiculous but trust us, the water trick actually works

Drinking Water Without Holding The Glass

For this trick to work, there is only one requirement–no hands. After placing a glass of water on a table, bend downwards and quickly gulp down it’s without holding the glass. It might seem a little ridiculous but trust us, it actually works.

Eating Sour Food Items

Whether it’s a slice of lemon or a particularly sour stick of candy, biting down on bitter-tasting food such as vinegar can do the trick. In case you simply can’t the sour taste of lemon or other citrus fruits, it might help to sprinkle a little sugar on top before biting in.

Eating Peanut Butter

This next home remedy is quite traditional and has been used for centuries as a cure for hiccups. One way of getting rid of hiccups is to disrupt the rhythm of your breathing and peanut butter can come in handy here since it requires plenty of chewing, interrupting your breathing in the process.

Pexels/Karolina Grabowska | Peanut Butter is quite traditional and has been used for centuries as a cure for hiccups

Breathing Out of A Paper Bag

It might sound silly at first but hear us out on this one. Breathing in and out of an airtight bag can stop your hiccups. To do it properly, make sure that the bag is pressed to your mouth tightly in a manner that does not allow any air to escape. Once this is done, you must breathe in and out of the bag–although normal breathing can do the trick here, for optimum results, try to breathe as fast as possible.