There all several techniques, each requiring one of the following. Use whatever is available.

A lemon

Some sugar

A paper bag

A friend (or at least someone who's willing to stop laughing at you long enough to lend a hand)

Give at least 5 minutes to each technique before moving on to the next. If your hiccups persist past the point of several hours, consider getting medical attention.

Carbon Dioxide: this is the gas that your exhalation is made of. It's also present in your bloodstream. Hiccups can be caused and aggravated by an imbalance of carbon dioxide in your bloodstream.

Uvula: the tear-shaped flap that hangs from the back of your throat.

If someone else has the hiccups, your goal is to break the cycle of diaphragmatic contraction by suddenly giving the person's body something else to react to. That's why the scaring technique ("Boo!") sometimes works, but you can also try sudden gestures ("Look over there!") or other surprises ("Where did that llama come from?").

Alcohol-related hiccups. Eat a lemon wedge. If you can find some bitters in your great aunt's liquor cabinet, soak the lemon wedge in some of that. Bitters are a liquor prepared from bitter herbs and roots, traditionally used for stomach ailments.

2torial #0450: Learn2 Cure Hiccups The not-so-funny spasm in your chasm... Some people still look upon hiccups as the damning evidence of alcoholic overindulgence. Actually, they're more often caused by too-rapid eating, very hot foods, stomach problems or stress. These can cause spasms in the diaphragm (the muscle in your upper abdomen that controls the expansion of the lungs). Fortunately they're easily cured--as long as you have faith in the cures. One of the best cures for hiccups on record is the "I'll give you five dollars if you hiccup again, right now!" approach (witnessed in the Father's Office bar in Santa Monica, California). The young man, who had been going for well on an hour, couldn't conjure up another hiccup for weeks. You can't try that one by yourself, so read this 2torial and pull yourself out of the hiccuping rut. Your objective is to even out your carbon dioxide level, and there are a few ways to do that. Some of these may seem odd, but keep trying--one will likely do the trick. Work with the breath Both of these techniques can help you take in more carbon dioxide: Lie down on your back with your mouth wide open. Let your head hang over the edge of a couch or bed. Breath deeply and slowly. The Paper Bag Trick. Easy now, skeptics--this one really can work. Breathing into a paper bag reuses your own air and thus allows you to inhale carbon dioxide. Don't do this for any longer than a minute or so, however, as this type of recycling can be dangerous. Hold your breath. You may also induce a cough or sneeze to change your air intake. Gargling also has the same effect. Try water in an odd posture Drink a glass of water while someone presses your ears closed. For greater effect, pinch your nose shut with one hand while you drink with the other. Another time-honored strategy is to bend over and put your mouth on the far side of a glass of water. As you bend further, tip the glass towards your chest and drink upside-down. Why do techniques like this seem to be effective? Possibly because they generate sensations that your body doesn't encounter every day. Your body concentrates on processing these sensations, which means it stops paying attention to the repeat loop going on in your diaphragm. Anything that produces a similar disorientation might prove effective: swinging in a child's swing with your eyes closed, for instance, or putting your pants on backwards. Use a spoon Gulp down a teaspoon of sugar. Its high carbon content and quick entry to your bloodstream will help. Locate your uvula. It's that tear-shaped flap that hangs from the back of your throat. Touch it gently with the handle of a spoon. Breath steadily but not too deeply--this will prevent you from gagging. See a healthcare professional If the hiccups go on for longer than a day or so, consider seeing a healthcare professional to deal with the problem. -end- Learn More!