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Q: This may sound silly, but I have hiccups all the time and it's really getting annoying. My work colleagues joke that it's because I eat fast and talk at the same time, but can this really be true? Sometimes they're quite painful and go on for nearly half an hour. Gemma, 31
A: Hiccups are caused by irritation of the diaphragm - the tent-shaped dome of muscle that separates the abdomen from the chest and through which the food pipe passes down into the stomach. Indigestion, spicy foods and fizzy drinks can all trigger hiccups, so try changing what you eat. And your colleagues are right - eating fast and swallowing lots of air can also cause them, so slow down and let someone else get a word in!
Practise breathing exercises to stretch the diaphragm (Yoga4consciousness.com lists some good ones) and exercise regularly to get rid of gas bubbles in the stomach.
A good way to banish hiccups quickly is to place a fingertip in your ear and drink half a pint of water through a straw without stopping. A drug called chlorpromazine has been proven to stop severe hiccups, but this is a last resort only available from your GP.
Q: I think I've got bunions. I have small lumps on the side of my little toes that I'm desperate to get rid of, especially now summer's almost here. I love wearing heels - is this how I've got them? Suzy, 25
A: These lumps sound like corns, which are hard areas of thickened skin where your shoes have compressed the bones of the toes or the side of your foot. Avoid tight, pointed shoes and buy protective corn pads from a chemist. A chiropodist can pare down the thickened skin, leaving it smooth and soft.
Bunions are normally found at the base of the big toe and they happen when the toes are pushed outwards by tight-fitting shoes. They can often be treated naturally, or removed during a rather painful operation.
HEALTH HERO: SITCOMS
Here's some news to make you smile - having a laugh doesn't just help lift your spirits, it could also benefit your health, too. According to a new study, people who sat down to watch just 30 minutes of comedy a day had lower levels of stress hormones and other compounds linked to heart disease.
What's more, the Californian study found levels of good cholesterol - which is thought to protect the heart - shot up. In other words, that Gavin & Stacey box set you've had your eye on for a while could be just what the doctor ordered. So go on, get giggling!
FACT vs FICTION
Tap water decreases sperm count: FICTION
There have been rumours that tap water in cities decreases sperm count because
of the hormones in it. Some people believe oestrogen is released into the
water supply when women excrete the Pill, while others think that flushing
the Pill down the loo supplies the system with enough female hormones to
reduce men's sperm. But this is nonsense. The quality of our tap water is
fine - and it's just as good for us as bottled water.
Email your health questions to drhilary@fabulousmag.co.uk
Compiled by Jo Upcraft. Beth Gibbons Photography: Alamy, Camera Press
This article has 2 comments
ive got excess hair on my stomach, back and the top of my legs. It ruins my social life alot, from being self conscious when on holiday to more personal things! i have tried alot of things to get rid of it but nothing works. i have even been to the doctors, but they just said to wax and that there is nothing they can do. Is there anything else? Please help!
By Rachel. Posted July 12 2009 at 8:16 PM.
My brother in law got hiccups after he ate. He went to the Drs and was told it was oesophegal cancer! He was only 40 and he died two years later
By Fiona. Posted June 25 2009 at 10:26 PM.