Case history
Case history #1
A 27-year-old man presents with a 4-day history of chronic hiccups. The hiccups occur 4 to 6 times per minute and persist during sleep. The patient complains that he is becoming progressively fatigued and distressed by their persistence and frequency. No relief has been obtained from various home remedies. The patient denies any other symptoms, has no significant past medical history, and is not taking any regular medications. Examination of the right external auditory canal reveals a small hair in contact with the tympanic membrane. The remainder of the physical examination is unremarkable. The hair is irrigated from the canal, leading to an abrupt cessation of the hiccups. The hiccups do not recur.
Case history #2
A 43-year-old man presents with frequent hiccups that occur after drinking ice-cold carbonated beverages. They normally last about 2 minutes and never longer than 15 minutes. The patient denies any other symptoms. The patient has no significant past medical history, and the physical examination is unremarkable. The patient is informed of the benign nature of the condition and is advised to avoid large volumes of cold carbonated fluids.
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