HAVE hiccups ever caught you by surprise?
While annoying, in most cases, they are completely harmless.
And there's often no obvious reason why you get hiccups.
But some people find certain things trigger their hiccups, such as stress, strong emotions, like excitement, eating and drinking.
However, persistent hiccup, which last more than two days, can be a sign of two silent killers.
1. Stroke
Hiccups that occur with unusual chest pain are an early warning sign of stroke in women, studies suggest.
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Hiccups are associated with a type of stroke that occurs in the back of the brain – a type that is more common in women.
A 2015 study found nine in 10 women are unaware that hiccups are a warning sign of strokes.
According to Doctor Diana Greene-Chandos, a neurologist at Wexner Medical Centre, these symptoms sometimes send women "down the pathway of looking for either heart disease or indigestion".
A stroke is a life-threatening brain attack, which occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off – without blood, the cells in your brain can be killed or suffer damage.
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Over 100,000 people suffer a stroke every year in the UK and they're responsible for over 38,000 deaths, according to the NHS.
There are 1.3 million people living in the UK who have survived a stroke – many living with disabilities.
Other key signs of a stroke include sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body, difficulty finding words and sudden blurred vision.
2. Liver and kidney cancer
Intractable hiccups can very rarely be symptoms of liver and kidney cancer, studies have found.
Cancer Research UK say cancer patients may have persistent hiccups if:
- Their stomach stops working and becomes extended and bloated;
- They have an infection affecting their chest or food pipe (oesophagus);
- The cancer is pressing on their diaphragm;
- They have symptoms because of a brain tumour;
- Their kidneys are not working normally and their blood chemistry changes;
- They have high blood calcium levels (hypercalcaemia)
These symptoms usually occurs in about four per cent of those with advanced liver and kidney cancer, experts say.
Other symptoms of liver cancer are loss of appetite and weight, general weakness, sickness and yellow discoloration of the skin.
While common symptoms of kidney cancer include: blood in the pee, pain in the lower back or side, tiredness, a loss of appetite and high blood pressure.
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When should you see a doctor?
If you experience hiccups that last longer than two days you should contact your doctor, the NHS suggests.
Should hiccupping interfere with your everyday life, such as eating and sleeping, it is important to get them checked by a doctor.
How to get rid of hiccups
- Hold your breath for a short amount of time
- Take small sips of cold water or gargle with water
- Try drinking water from the far side of the glass
- Breath into a paper bag
- Bite into a lemon
- Swallow a small amount of granulated sugar
- Bring your knees up to your chest and lean forward
Source: Healthline
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