Cause of Death: Hiccup!.....

AnnieMack · Post by **AnnieMack** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:20 am

I have just downloaded a death certificate from 1867 which says my rellie died of 'hiccup'. Has anyone ever heard of this happening?

It's a new one on me. He was 49 and a railway porter so should have been quite fit I would have thought.

Strange...!

Annie

Post by **Tracey** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:45 am

Doing a Google on Hiccup Deaths it seems it may be triggered or be a symptom of something else in adult life

When hiccups are associated with medical problems, the cause is usually irritation of one of the nerves in the chest. Examples include laryngitis, goiters (enlargement of the thyroid gland), tumors in the neck, infections near the diaphragm, and hiatal hernia (usually with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD). Hiccups can also be triggered by excess alcohol use, kidney failure, and other infections (especially ear infections). Rarer causes are aortic aneurysms and multiple sclerosis.

Treating a disorder that may be triggering hiccups is usually the first course of action for prolonged or intractable hiccups. For example, surgical removal of a tumor, medication treatment for GERD (such as cimetidine or omeprazole) or antibiotic treatment of an infection may reduce or even eliminate severe hiccups when one of those conditions is the trigger.

maybe they just didnt know so at the time

Tracey

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:46 am

Hi Annie

Has anyone ever heard of this happening?

Er, no... interesting one. I wonder what it really meant? Can you really die of hiccups??
Is there a doctor in the house?

2 mins later...Ah - I see Dr.Tracey beat me to it!

Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:54 am

Just found this at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3849533.stm

Hiccups serve no purpose and usually end naturally without any need for medical intervention.

Prolonged attacks can cause significant illness and even death.

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **Tracey** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:57 am

Ah...........two doctors in the house !!

One of my Google searches bought back a report on someone who was arrested for shooting someone but was blaming Hiccups for him firing the trigger !

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:01 am

One of my Google searches bought back a report on someone who was arrested for shooting someone but was blaming Hiccups for him firing the trigger !

I found a similar case where an uncle had tried to stop his nephew's hiccups by pointing a gun at him to give him a fright. (They'd both been drinking.) Gun went off by mistake, nephew was killed, and uncle then committed suicide.

Dear me.

And did you know...

Charles Osbourne, an American, hiccuped for 69 years and 9 months, from 1922 until his death in 1991

http://www.embarrassingproblems.co.uk/hiccups.htm