Hiccup Frequency and Diagnosis
Hiccups that may be diagnosed as persistent, often brought on by some sort of damage to the vagus or phrenic nerve (the nerve that allows for exhalation), last for more than two days but less than a month. Hiccups that continue for more than a month can be diagnosed as chronic, or intractable. Another issue of concern is the intensity or duration of each hiccup episode. Hiccups that interfere with daily functioning will lead to fatigue from loss of sleep and extreme weight fluctuations from disturbances in eating patterns.
Intervention is usually unnecessary with the everyday hiccup, and “folk remedies," like scaring the sufferer or taking a certain number of sips of water, are often enough to put the person hiccuping at ease. Medical treatment is often warranted when a case of chronic hiccups presents.
These are only a few of the many conditions related to chronic hiccups:
- brain lesions
- tumors
- liver or kidney disorders or uremic poisoning
- pleurisy of the diaphragm
- pneumonia
- alcoholism
- bowel diseases
- pancreatitis
- bladder irritation
- and other disorders of the intestine, the stomach or esophagus