The hiccup sound we hear is caused by a sudden involuntary contraction of the diaphragm followed by rapid closure of the vocal chords. While no one knows for sure what causes the contractions, some doctors speculate that they occur when nerve centers which control the muscles of respiration become irritable. Most cases of hiccups last only a few minutes. If they last longer than a day or two, you should seek medical attention.

Whatever “cure” is tried, the general goal is to increase carbon dioxide levels in the blood or to disrupt the nerve impulses causing the hiccups. However it’s done, hiccups cures sometimes work and sometimes they don’t. But since there’s really nothing to lose in trying, here are several home-tested ways you can “cure” hiccups:

1)Hold your breath— try holding your breath for at least 30 seconds— longer if you can.

2) Swallow some sugar— a teaspoon of sugar, swallowed dry, reportedly works for some people.

3) Bend over and drink— you may find this one hard to do but there are those who swear it works. Get a glass of water and instead of drinking the usual way, try bending forward and drinking the water from the opposite side of the glass.

4) Gargle with water.

5) Put a paper bag over your mouth and nose, then inhale and exhale into it repeatedly.

6) Pull your knees up to your chest.

7) Chew slowly, then swallow some dry bread.

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Flabby arms can be a thing of the past if you are willing to spend about 20 minutes a day to firm them up. This type of exercising will get rid of the layer of fat that sits on top of the muscle. You should start by working out two days a week, alternating days so as not to fatigue the muscles. Gradually work up to three to five times a week.

Once you’ve become accustomed to regular exercise, you can begin to exercise two primary muscles—biceps and triceps. Begin with basic exercises, such as bicep curls, using dumbbells or a straight bar. You can exercise the triceps (which are located on the back of the upper arm) by doing a tricep pushdown exercise on a cable machine. You should focus more on correct form rather than how much weight you are using.

You can lessen muscle fatigue by alternating workouts— do the chest and biceps one day, and the back and triceps the next day. An effective arm routine can be performed at home with a set of 5-pound dumbbells or a straight barbell. Twenty minutes should give your arms an effective workout. You can do curls at home, while you’re watching TV.

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