Spicy food helps to put more excitement into your cuisine, and you try to add spice as many ways as you can. Maybe you like to throw some spicy peppers onto the grill and then put them on your burger, covering them in cheese that gets melty and seals them on top of the beef. Maybe you like some fiery curries or Thai dishes. You love the heat and the sweat, and the way it makes you feel. However, there might be one thing that you do not love – hiccups from spicy food.
Why Does It Happen?
When you have something that is on the spicy side of life, sometimes the hiccups follow. Why does this happen? Spicy food can trigger hiccups, but it is not entirely known why this happens. It could have something to do with the capsaicin in the food. The capsaicin is the compound that causes the heat in the spicy food, and it could cause irritation in the diaphragm when you eat it. This could cause the hiccups. It does not occur all the time and for everyone, though. Another theory is that the heat causes the diaphragm to contract quickly to release air, and this makes you get the hiccups.
The truth is that nobody really knows. They just know that sometimes when you are eating spicy food, the hiccups will come along to mess with your day. So, since it is not possible to find ways to eliminate this from happening altogether, you need to do the next best thing. You need to learn some simple techniques to stop hiccups from spicy food.
Stopping the Hiccups
It can be difficult to stop these hiccups, and in some cases, you might just have to ride it out. It can be embarrassing, but sometimes, you do not have a choice. However, you can try some of these tips that might help.
As soon as you notice that you are getting the hiccups, drink a glass of water. You could also try to eat slower, or stop eating. Taking a magnesium antacid could help, as well. Breathing into a paper bag is another common trick to getting rid of hiccups. It could be something you want to try. Holding your breath could also work.
Most of the time, the hiccups will stop on their own after a while and there is no harm done. It is annoying and it has the potential to embarrass you in certain situations, but it is not dangerous. Other times, the hiccups might end up causing you to feel nauseous or to have heartburn, but this is rate.
If you only get hiccups from spicy food once in a rare while, you should not worry about enjoying those spicy meals when you would like. However, if you seem to have this problem every time you put something spicy into your mouth, it might be time to reconsider your diet. Maybe consider only eating the spicy food while you are at home.