Hiccups troubling you? Here are 10 unusual causes of persistent or intractable hiccups

10 unusual causes of persistent or intractable hiccups Hiccups are sudden and involuntary contractions of the diaphragm. Due to these repeated muscle contractions, the opening between your vocal chords rapidly closes to stop the inflow of air. That is when you hiccup. While it is normal to have a short spurt of hiccups every now and then, it becomes a major red flag for an underlying condition if it lasts for 48 hours or more. While that is known as persistent hiccup, there are people who suffer from almost non-stop hiccups throughout the day for more than two months. Those are considered intractable. These are the one of 10 health conditions you might be suffering from if you have bouts of hiccups very often.Brain ischemia or stroke Doctors have observed that brain ischemia or stroke can be a cause of intractable hiccup in some patients [1]. Brain ischemia is a condition where there is insufficient blood supply to the brain. This condition can afflict both adults and infants and there are various causes. If diagnosed on time for treatment, the patient will stop suffering from non-stop hiccups.Parkinson's disease Studies have found that 20% patients with Parkinson's disease have frequent or intractable hiccups and doctors were able to diagnose this degenerative disorder because of this symptom [1]. In some cases, drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease could also cause persistent hiccups.Brain tumour Brain tumours are known to induce serious hiccups which resolve on their own following surgical intervention [1]. Another cause of non-stop hiccups could also be a brain injury caused by an accident. Other symptoms also include nausea and vomiting.Esophageal cancer Studies have found that hiccup has been an unrecognized symptom of esophageal cancer [1]. It is estimated that 27% of esophageal cancer patients suffer from persistent hiccups that can last for more than 48 hours.Chemotherapy drugs Cancer patients tend to suffer from persistent hiccups due to chemotherapy [1]. In such cases, steroids are prescribed to reduce this symptom.Stomach volvulus Gastric or stomach volvulus is a rare disease where there is an extremely abnormal rotation of the stomach of more than 180 degrees. This causes a lot of bowel obstruction and the patient suffers from a lot of pain. It is more common in children and could also be life threatening in some cases. Studies have found that hiccups are a subtle sign in the diagnosis of this condition [1].Herpes zoster Herpes zoster or shingles is a an infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. This condition causes painful blisters and rashes in different parts of the body. You'll be surprised to know that in some cases, persistent hiccup is a sign of herpes zoster [1]. Another symptom along with hiccups is a sore throat.Myocardial ischemia Myocardial ischemia is a coronary artery disease that is caused due to buildup of plaque and it is one of unusual reasons for intractable hiccups [1]. Some of these cases can be effectively treated using either coronary intervention or acupuncture.Post-operative hiccups Patients who have undergone certain surgeries are prone to periods of excessive hiccups post surgery [1]. This could include procedures such as a colectomy, surgery from pancreatic cancer or what is known as whipple operation, and also due to certain anesthetic agents.Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease While it is a known fact that belching or burping is caused by stomach ailments such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hiccups are also fairly common among these patients [1]. GERD is a chronic disease where the stomach acid irritates the stomach's lining after it flows into the food pipe.