>>11192268It is just a muscle spasm. All you need to do to stop them is to take a huge deep breath so deep and big that it hurts. Then hold it for 10 seconds. The same sort of stretching function occurs in some people when someone scares them, due to a quick inhale of breath or contraction of the diaphragm, hence the "scare them to cure hiccups." Drinking water doesn't quite due that, but it can clear the throat and epiglottis of substances that may be triggering the muscle spasm. For instance, most people can trigger hiccups from eating peanut butter then drinking a carbonated beverage like Sprite. For hiccups caused by a substance, you need to clear your throat then do the inhaling exercise to stop it.
