7. Hiccupping: The Overlooked Indicator
Hiccups are often the punchline of jokes or an awkward moment during dinner, but in the context of esophageal achalasia, they can be an early warning system. Not just your run-of-the-mill, soda-induced hiccups, but consistent, unprovoked hiccupping that doesn’t resolve with the usual home remedies.
But why hiccups? Well, the diaphragm plays a significant role in swallowing, and esophageal achalasia tends to interfere with its usual rhythm. When the lower esophageal sphincter doesn’t open as it should, the diaphragm receives mixed signals, leading to erratic contractions—or in layman’s terms, hiccups.
You’d think the hiccups would at least have the courtesy to show up after eating, but no. They can appear at any time, confusing and concerning in equal measure. Unlike hiccups you’ve had before, these don’t fade away with a glass of water or by holding your breath. They’re persistent, like an unsolved riddle.
The oddest part? The symptom tends to go largely uninvestigated because, let’s face it, who goes to the doctor just for hiccups? It’s often only in hindsight, after a diagnosis of achalasia, that the hiccups are recognized for what they really are—an unheeded warning bell. (7)
