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 medications 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) Mild discomfort in the upper right part of the abdomen | Blood tests | |
Liver cancers (including cancers that metastasized to the liver) | 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 Imaging tests of the abdomen (such as CT, MRI, and MRCP) | |
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) | 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 or strokes | 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; MRCP = magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging. | ||