Hiccups are annoying, and the home remedies for an attack of hiccups range from holding your breath to breathing into
a paper bag -- to being startled -- to swallowing a spoonful of sugar. I could go on in remedies thought to work. But
hiccups were never a medical concern before today. According to Professor Tom Walsh, a researcher at James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Dublin, persistent hiccupping in addition to weight loss and difficulty swallowing could be a warning sign of cancer of the esophagus. In fact, six percent of patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer went to see a doctor because of hiccups. Over 25 percent of patients reported problematic hiccupping prior to cancer diagnosis. I know -- your thinking thanks for that -- one more thing to worry about. But I say that the weight loss and difficulty swallowing are going to be far greater indicators of a medical problem than the ever so common hiccup.
