Girl's Five Weeks of Hiccups Finally End

CBN News

March 2, 2007

CBNNews.com - After trying every known cure to stop the hiccups -- from sipping pickle juice, breathing into a bag, to holding her breath -- 15-year-old Jennifer Mee's five-week-long stint of hiccupping finally stopped -- on its own.

In desperation, the Florida teen had even gone to a neurologist. Then, at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, her hiccups stopped. And no one knows why.

Jennifer had begun hiccupping on Jan. 23, at close to 50 times a minute. She said it only stopped when she was asleep.

"Right now, my nose is burning and my throat hurts," she told the St. Petersburg Times, but she said she felt a lot better than she has in weeks.

Among Jennifer's efforts to stop the annoying - and painful - attack, were a trip to an infectious disease specialist, a neurologist, a chiropractor, a hypnotist and an acupuncturist. She even tried a patented device that is designed specifically to stop hiccups.

And, of course, she tried all the old remedies.

Finally in desperation, her mom called the media two weeks ago in an attempt to find more help for her daughter.

Jennifer ended up on NBC's "Today" show.

According to the National Institutes of Health, hiccups can be triggered by anything from spicy foods to stress, and they can begin for no reason at all.

Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, which cause the vocal cords to close briefly, making that distinctive sound.

Source: CBN News, Associated Press

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