Hiccups that last for less than 48 hours and stop on their own do not require a diagnosis from your GP.
Visit your GP if you have had hiccups that have lasted for longer than 48 hours. They will look at your medical history and may carry out a physical examination to try to establish the cause.
Physical examination
The aim of the physical examination is to try to find out what is causing your hiccups, such as identifying any underlying condition that may be contributing to the problem. Areas of your body that your GP may want to examine include the:
- head and neck (including your mouth)
- chest
- abdomen (tummy)
Tests
If your GP suspects that your hiccups have an underlying cause, you may need to have a series of tests. There are several that your GP may want to carry out depending on the specific underlying condition that they want to confirm or rule out. The tests may include:
- blood tests – to check for conditions such as diabetes, infections, kidney disease and hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels)
- electrocardiogram (ECG) – a test that measures the electrical activity in your heart and is used to check for heart-related conditions
- urine testing – used to rule out certain infectious diseases
- chest radiography – a detailed type of X-ray that can be used to check for signs of a chest infection or possible tumours
- computerised tomography (CT) scan – this type of scan can be used to check for conditions that affect the head and abdomen (tummy)
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – this type of scan can be used to check for conditions that affect the nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis
