Hiccups as a myocardial ischemia symptom

A hiccup is involuntary, paroxysmal inspiratory movements of the chest wall associated with diaphragm and accessory respiratory muscle contractions, with the synchronized closure of glottis. The mechanism underlying this common primitive reflex plays an important role in protecting airways against esophageal aspiration. The hiccup reflex mechanism is based on the afferent pathway (vagus and phrenic nerve and sympathetic fibers innervating chest organs, the abdomen, the ear, the nose and the throat stimulation, and the stimulation of hiccup center in the central nervous system, mainly reflecting psychogenic or metabolic disorders) and the efferent pathway (phrenic nerves). An incidental hiccup is a common problem, usually resolves spontaneously and does not present a clinical issue. The clinical issue arises in the case of pathologic persistent hiccups or symptomatic secondary hiccups which may lead to significant fatigue, insomnia or depression. Generally, pathologic hiccups are associated with considerable discomfort concerning both the “stigmatized” person and his or her personal surroundings in which it evokes different emotions, from amusement through impatience to uneasiness and the suggestion of a medical visit as an expression of concern for a given person. The most common causes of pathologic symptomatic hiccups are nervous system diseases, either the central nervous system (proliferative, angiogenic, inflammatory disorders), or the peripheral nervous system: the irritation of the phrenic nerve (proliferative disorders, goitre) and the vagus nerve (otolaryngologic diseases, meningitis, esophageal, stomach and duodenal diseases, hepatitis, pancreatitis, enteritis). The vagus nerve irritation with subsequent hiccups may be caused by chest disorders (injury, surgery) and heart diseases (myocardial infarction). In the present paper we describe the case of a 62-year-old male with recurrent hiccups associated with exertion as a secondary symptom of myocardial ischemia.