Some Causes and Features of Persistent Hiccups
Some Causes and Features of Persistent Hiccups
| Cause | Common Features* | Tests |
| Esophagus | ||
| Heartburn (burning pain that begins in the upper abdomen and travels up to the throat, sometimes with an acid taste in the mouth) Chest pain Sometimes a cough, hoarseness, or both Symptoms sometimes triggered by lying down Relief with antacids | A doctor's examination Sometimes trying treatment with drugs to suppress acid production Sometimes endoscopy of the upper digestive tract (examination of the esophagus and stomach using a flexible viewing tube) | |
| Abdomen | ||
| Abdominal surgery (recent) | Obvious history of recent surgery | A doctor’s examination |
| Pain in the upper right part of the abdomen, under the rib cage Sometimes nausea and vomiting | Ultrasonography | |
| A general feeling of illness (malaise) Poor appetite Nausea and sometimes vomiting Sometimes darkening of the urine, then yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice Jaundice in Adults In jaundice, the skin and whites of the eyes look yellow. Jaundice occurs when there is too much bilirubin (a yellow pigment) in the blood—a condition called hyperbilirubinemia. (See also Overview... read more Mild discomfort in the upper right part of the abdomen | Blood tests | |
| Long-standing discomfort in the upper part of the abdomen Weight loss Fatigue | Ultrasonography, CT, or MRI of the abdomen | |
| Severe, constant pain in the upper part of the abdomen Usually vomiting | Blood tests | |
| Pregnancy | Usually a missed menstrual period Sometimes morning sickness and/or breast swelling | A pregnancy test |
| Chest | ||
| Chest surgery (recent) | Obvious history of recent surgery | A doctor’s examination |
| Inflammation of the membrane around the heart (pericarditis Overview of Pericardial Disease Pericardial disease affects the pericardium, which is the flexible two-layered sac that envelops the heart. The pericardium helps keep the heart in position, helps prevent the heart from overfilling... read more | Sharp chest pain that worsens with breathing and coughing | Electrocardiography (ECG) |
| Inflammation of the part of the membrane around the lung (pleura) near the diaphragm (diaphragmatic pleurisy) | Sharp chest pain that worsens with breathing and coughing | A chest x-ray |
| Cough, fever, chills, and chest pain Sometimes shortness of breath | A chest x-ray | |
| Other | ||
| History of excessive consumption of alcohol | A doctor’s examination | |
| Certain brain tumors Overview of Brain Tumors A brain tumor can be a noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant) growth in the brain. It may originate in the brain or have spread (metastasized) to the brain from another part of the body... read more or strokes Overview of Stroke A stroke occurs when an artery to the brain becomes blocked or ruptures, resulting in death of an area of brain tissue due to loss of its blood supply (cerebral infarction) and symptoms that... read more | Sometimes in people who are known to have had a stroke or who have a tumor Sometimes recurring headaches and/or difficulty walking, talking, speaking, or seeing | MRI and/or CT of the brain |
| Usually in people who are known to have kidney failure | Blood tests | |
| * Features include symptoms and the results of the doctor's examination. Features mentioned are typical but not always present. | ||
| CT = computed tomography; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging. | ||
