Hiccups for six months and a checkup turns out to be cancer could be real and could be caused by central or peripheral lesions such as brain tumors, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, and so on.
Hiccups, also known as eructation, can occur in general people under physiological conditions. This is due to factors such as swallowing too fast to stimulate the diaphragm to make it spasm, resulting in air being sucked into the lungs quickly and the vocal folds suddenly narrowing, thus causing a sound. Generally, hiccups are short-lived and can subside on their own.
If the hiccups are prolonged and recurrent, they may be pathologic. Common disorders that cause hiccups include:
1. Central eructation: such as brain tumor, cerebrovascular accident, encephalitis and so on.
2. Peripheral hiccups: such as lesions stimulating the phrenic nerve, including mediastinal tumor, esophageal cancer, esophagitis, etc.; lesions around the diaphragm can also cause diaphragmatic spasm, such as pleurisy, pericarditis, subphrenic abscess, etc.; in addition, lesions stimulating the vagus nerve can also induce hiccups, such as gastritis, gastric cancer, etc.
3. Other factors: drugs, post-surgery, mental factors.
To sum up, hiccups for half a year may be the manifestation of cancer and other diseases, and it is recommended to consult a doctor in time for standardized diagnosis and treatment.