DEAR DR. GOTT: I’ve read many “cures” for hiccups in your column. I remember how my mother taught me to cure my younger siblings of hiccups when they were babies by touching the tip of the tongue with a little sugar. This would cause a sharp intake of breath, and that seemed to do the trick. Later I learned about scaring someone to stop the hiccups, then about drinking water while holding the ears, etc.
All of these seem to have one thing in common — a deliberate interruption of the breathing pattern. So why all the drama? You don’t need sugar, water or a third person to intervene when using my preferred method.
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