New Straw-Like Device Cures Hiccups 92% of the Time, Every Time
Good news! Hiccup sufferers (everyone) rejoice, we finally have a cure for the stubborn affliction that doesn’t involve a lemon or standing on your head. Meet the “HiccAway”, a plastic straw-like device that acts just like, well, a straw.
Hiccups occur when your diaphragm and intercostal muscles involuntarily and suddenly contract. Hiccups are so common that everyone has their own home-remedy for curing them – usually ineffectively. HiccAway is described as “the forced inspiratory suction and swallow tool” and takes advantage of our biological processes to stimulate the nerves responsible for our hiccupping.
One end of the straw is placed in a glass of water while the other end is placed in the user’s mouth. The end in the water contains a small hole that acts as a pressure valve – requiring more suction to draw water through the straw. This enhanced suction requires the phrenic nerve to cause a contraction of the diaphragm, with the eventual swallowing of the water activates the vagus nerve. The device essentially keeps the nerves busy enough so that they don’t have time to continue the contractions that cause hiccups. A study was done with 203 participants and the device was found to be effective in 92% of the cases.
Source: Guardian
