Drinking From This Special Straw Promises to Cure the Hiccups 90% of the Time - Gizmodo

Some claim that cures like repeatedly sipping a glass of water while holding their nose, or simply holding their breath for as long as they can, make the hiccups go away, but Ali Seifi, a neuro-intensive care physician from the University of Texas at San Antonio, believes they’ve come up with a $14 cure that’s far more reliable.

While trying to drink with the HiccAway straw, the user’s abdomen is lowered and their epiglottis closes which stimulates the two nerves responsible for controlling those parts of the body, the vagus and the phrenic, which in turn helps the brain reset itself, putting an end to an uncontrolled bout of hiccups.

In recently published research, the creators of the HiccAway reported that of 203 participants in a recent study who responded to a survey about the effectiveness of the straw they tested, over 90% reported it was effective at remedying a bout of hiccups.

So it doesn’t work for everyone, nor is the straw a permanent cure that guarantees you’ll never have the hiccups again.