What are the Possible Causes of Hiccups?

What Causes Hiccups?

Hiccups can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'life-threatening' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose hiccups, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "hiccups" as a symptom. Here are three possibilities:

Cardiac Ischemia
Chronic Renal Insufficiency
Heart Disease

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

heart attack(s) in father

itchy skin

long-term low-carb dieting

male pattern hair loss

pain between shoulder blades

history of heart attack

sudden shortness of breath

high uric acid level

very low HDL cholesterol level

apple-shaped body when overweight

current birth control pill use

chronic nausea

... and more than 30 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of hiccups:

Cause	Probability	Status
Heart Disease	99%	Confirm
Chronic Renal Insufficiency	30%	Unlikely
Cardiac Ischemia	5%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the General Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about frequent hiccups:

How often do you have hiccups?

Possible responses:

→ Rarely / 'average' / Don't know
→ Never
→ Regular minor episodes lasting several minutes
→ Regular major episodes lasting an hour or more
→ Current problem that won't stop

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either never having hiccups or hiccups, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Cardiac Ischemia

Hiccups usually last for only a few minutes, but can persist for days – or even months in rare cases. Although usually benign, they can sometimes be an indicator of underlying metabolic or infectious processes, including heart disease.

Chronic Renal Insufficiency

Persistent hiccups are a possible sign of kidney failure.

Coronary Disease / Heart Attack

Hiccups can be one of the first signs of heart muscle damage or heart attack.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™