When I get the hiccups

My story

When we were little, my twin sister and I often had hiccups. At times, when it wasn’t one of us, it was the other. I remember one day at school. We started hiccupping. The harder we tried to hold it in, the louder it got. Which led to a good laugh. Which spread because several students got involved, each with their own little trick. One was trying to scare us, the other was bringing us a glass of water to drink “upside down”… A noisy class break! At the time, I didn’t yet know that tarragon could stop hiccups almost instantly. It would have saved us from being uncomfortable with this powerful “hic” on several occasions. Even if it did provide the occasional laugh.

My tip

For hiccups, the reflex is tarragon. When it still happens (which is much less frequent now), I drink tarragon hydrosol straight away. In such cases, I usually take it neat. If you find the taste a little on the sour side, you can dilute a tablespoon in a small glass of water. Most of the time, one dose is enough. If not, you can repeat.
For people with frequent hiccups who can’t carry a bottle of hydrolat around with them, essential oils are just as suitable. In this case, simply take one drop orally to stop the hiccups instantly.
For babies with hiccups, you can dilute a teaspoon of tarragon hydrosol in the baby’s bottle.

What does phytotherapy have to say?

Hiccups (common name for phrenoglottic myoclonus…) are a reflex that occurs suddenly and uncontrollably. It corresponds to a succession of involuntary, repeated contractions of the diaphragm, followed by a sudden closure of the glottis, which slows down the flow of air and produces the “hiccup” characteristic of hiccups
“characteristic hiccup.
In herbal medicine, tarragon is known to provide significant digestive aid, ease bloating, soothe gastric and intestinal spasms and stop hiccups. Tarragon hydrosol is composed mainly of antispasmodic molecules, which act primarily on smooth muscles. It is particularly useful for high digestive spasms, typically aerophagia and hiccups.

Did you know?

n addition to its antispasmodic molecules, tarragon hydrosol contains anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic molecules, which are highly effective in relieving allergic rhinitis. It can be used to prevent or relieve the effects of hay fever For this, the ideal treatment is a one-month course of treatment, using 2 to 3 tablespoons of tarragon hydrosol per day, diluted in water

I use hydrosols SAFELY

There are no contraindications to using the hydrolat in this way, since it’s a classic dietary remedy. Tarragon essential oil, on the other hand, should be avoided by pregnant women and small children.

ARTEMISIA DRACUNCULUS Tarragon

Tarragon is a perennial plant with narrow leaves, cultivated worldwide as an aromatic (tarragon is the main flavouring in Béarnaise sauce). Native to Russia, and more specifically to the great Siberian steppes, tarragon owes its name to the Latin dracunculus, meaning little dragon. According to the signature theory of the ancients, tarragon’s sinuous, snake-like roots were thought to be effective against snakebites, and more generally against the bites of venomous animals. Unfortunately, this only seems to be a legend… Tarragon’s antispasmodic properties, particularly in the digestive tract, make it a formidable hiccup remedy.