What Hidden Health Problems Cause Chronic Hiccups?

We all have heard this once in our life from our elders that- ‘Someone is missing you’, whenever there are hiccups. Practically if we see, hiccups are caused by involuntary contractions of our diaphragm. This muscle plays an important role in breathing and separates our chest from our abdomen. We hear this popular sound when involuntary contraction causes vocal cords to close very briefly.

Hiccups are usually short-lived and not a sign of something serious but when they last more than 48 hours, it becomes a matter of concern. Hiccups are generally caused by eating and drinking too fast, smoking or carbonated beverages like drinking a lot of soda. When the hiccups last somewhere from between 48 hours to 30 days, they are known to be persistent and when they exceed 30 days, they are known to be intractable.

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Here are some of the health issues that might lead to chronic hiccups:

• Nerve Problems

As hiccups are caused by the contractions of the diaphragm, so any damage or irritation in the diaphragm or on phrenic nerves or on the vagus may also reflect in our hiccups. These nerves are connected to the diaphragm causing hiccups. 

Factors that lead to the irritation of those nerves are:

Tickling sensation on your eardrums because of hair or dirt.

If a tumor is developing on your neck.

Throat ache and acid reflux.

Pneumonia.

• Nervous System Diseases

Any kind of problem or infection that affects the nervous system leads to chronic hiccups. Any malfunctioning in the brain also leads to hiccups as the brain controls breathing. 

Following are some of the disorders that might cause hiccups:

Multiple sclerosis 

Brainstem seizures

Disorders like meningitis and encephalitis

Brain tumors and stroke

Spinal cord injuries

Brain injury

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• Gastrointestinal Problems

Any problem related to the gut, intestine, stomach, liver, or pancreas can also cause hiccups. If you are eating at a fast pace or drinking too much soda, overeating, or even sucking a candy can result in hiccups because of the problems in your stomach. 

Here are some of the diseases that can cause hiccups:

Cholera

Jaundice

Stomach Ulcers

Appendicitis

Crohn’s Disease

• Metabolic Problems and Medications

There are times when you are taking certain medications or drugs that can lead to hiccups because of their side effects. For example, diabetes, kidney disorders, steroids and tranquilizers, anesthesia, drugs used in chemotherapy, imbalance in the levels of potassium and sodium in our blood.

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