Coughing, Hiccoughs And Some Stray Earbuds

Hearing aid earbud: the replaceable white
piece shown above.

Not having gotten much relief after a recent medical visit for incessant coughing and hiccups, my good wife persuaded me to go to MedExpress Thursday. They were really backed up with patients, so we went to Valley Urgent Care instead. After a 45 minute wait I had an EKG and a thorough checkup, and was told I had significant wax buildup in my ears, so I agreed to have them remove it, hoping it would help my hearing if nothing else.

Turns out they not only got rid of the wax but found two stray earbuds from my hearing aids in my right ear. Not one, but two! So yes, I can now hear better, even though I've experienced only gradual improvement otherwise. 

Apparently incessant hiccups are sometimes, though rarely, associated with a life threatening condition known as pulmonary embolism (PE)  that may present as dyspnea, chest pain, cough or hemoptysis. Hence the EKG, which fortunately ruled out any heart problem.

The good news is that had I not gone for help, or had been seen by MedExpress, I may still be wondering why I have such poor hearing in my right ear (Side note: This is also a reason married men live longer, in that they are more likely to be persuaded to get medical help when they need it).

Meanwhile, I did wonder, after reading the following in a Mayo Clinic piece I found online, if there might be any connection between my having these foreign objects in my ear and my hiccups:

"A cause of long-term hiccups is damage to or irritation of the vagus nerves or phrenic nerves, which serve the diaphragm muscle. Factors that may cause damage or irritation to these nerves include: 

• A hair or something else in your ear touching your eardrum

• A tumor, cyst or goiter in your neck

• Gastroesophageal reflux

• Sore throat or laryngitis"

Having said that, the earbuds probably weren't touching my eardrum in any case, and the hiccups haven't altogether disappeared since their removal, but God does sometimes seem to work in mysterious and hilarious ways.

A suggested note for future medical journals: "When seeing patients with coughing or hiccups, be sure to check for any foreign objects in their ears."