Hiccups can seem pretty harmless.

However, one should definitely not take hiccups lightly if it continues for more than a day.

Persistent hiccup can be a sign of heart problem

An elderly man in Taiwan had been hiccuping for two weeks before being diagnosed with a heart attack, according to Apple Daily.

The 77-year-old was admitted to the emergency department of Taipei Veterans General Hospital after having persistent hiccups and a poor appetite.

A doctor from the emergency department, Gao Zhijun, initially thought that the elderly man was suffering from indigestion.

The patient also told Gao that eating and drinking would worsen the hiccups.

As a result, the patient could barely eat anything and felt weak.

Gao then suspected that the patient could have some heart conditions. He ran an electrocardiography test on him, which then confirmed that the patient had an acute heart attack.

The elderly man was sent for surgery immediately but died a week after.

The delay in treatment had interfered with his chances of survival as his hiccuping symptoms had persisted for two weeks, Gao added.

Hiccuping rarely a symptom of heart disease

Gao said that hiccuping is rarely a symptom of heart disease (myocardial infarction).

In the past 50 years, there was reportedly only one case where hiccups were the only presenting symptom.

Following that case, however, the hospital had received two similar cases, Gao said.

Two elderly men, aged 64 and 70, who also had diabetes, were diagnosed with an acute heart attack after hiccups lasted for one to two days.

Fortunately, their heart issues were treated in time.

Top photo collage via Apple Daily Taiwan