Can there be a cough with heart disease?

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Cardiac cough: symptoms and treatment

Cardiac cough - main symptoms:

  • Presyncope
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Dyspnea
  • Labored breathing
  • Heartache
  • Dry cough
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Increased sweating
  • Rapid breathing
  • Swelling of the lower extremities
  • Enlarged veins in the neck
  • Blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle
  • Blueness of lips
  • Blue fingers
  • Blue ears

Cardiac cough is a special type of manifestation that is formed from a violation of the synchronicity of contraction of the ventricles of the heart.

Table of contents:

Many people are accustomed to the fact that a phenomenon such as cough can only occur during a cold or an allergic reaction, but not during heart pathologies. The phenomenon is provoked because the right ventricle normally fills the lung tissue with blood, and the left one lags behind a little. For this reason, blood circulation is disrupted and pressure in the lungs increases. It is this process that causes hypoxia. The patient constantly has the urge to cough, and breathing becomes heavier.

Etiology

Before starting therapy for the manifestation, the patient and the doctor need to understand what a cardiac cough is and how it manifests itself. This phenomenon often appears precisely from left ventricular failure. The following pathologies can provoke such a disorder:

The reasons for the development of the disease also lie in problems with the endocrine and respiratory systems, from frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages, nicotine, in complicated forms of anemia, the use of medications to eliminate cardiac pathologies, as well as from stress. Cardiac cough in children manifests itself from strong pressure in the pulmonary artery and congenital anomaly of the heart.

Since the disease develops from heart failure, it is necessary to further determine what caused the development of such a pathology. Clinicians argue that specific disorders could provoke the appearance of such a negative process:

  • decreased contractile function of the left ventricle;
  • increased pressure in the lungs;
  • venous congestion in the pulmonary and systemic circulation;
  • accumulation of fluid in the lungs.

This symptom does not develop in all people who have heart problems. This is a so-called complication of the disease. And in the initial stages of cardiac pathology, the patient may have severe shortness of breath and a mild cough.

Classification

Coughing with a damaged heart has several forms of manifestation:

  • paroxysmal and dry - manifests itself with difficulty breathing, hemoptysis, weakness, and a slight increase in temperature;
  • evening - manifests itself in a debilitating and loud cough, which is activated in a lying position;
  • irritating and dry;
  • sharp, dry and short cough - accompanied by pain in the heart or throughout the chest;
  • hemoptysis.

Symptoms

People who suffer from heart disease always wonder how to distinguish bronchial asthma from cardiac cough. These two diseases are very similar to each other and can mislead both the patient and the doctor. To correctly identify and distinguish cardiac cough from other ailments, you need to monitor the clinical picture. The disease manifests itself in the following symptoms:

  • dry cough - no sputum produced;
  • blue tint to the lips, nasolabial triangle, earlobes and fingers;
  • frequent and difficult breathing;
  • dyspnea;
  • pain syndrome in the heart;
  • dizziness;
  • lightheadedness or loss of consciousness;
  • swelling of the veins in the neck;
  • the phenomenon progresses in a horizontal position;
  • weakness;
  • heavy sweating;
  • swelling of the ankle area in the evening.

If a symptom manifests itself from infectious and inflammatory pathologies of the respiratory organs, then it is characterized by a strong increase in temperature, which leads to a sore throat, runny nose and other signs of a cold. At first, the cough appears dry, and then turns into a wet cough with yellowish sputum.

You can recognize a cardiac cough from nicotine use in the morning. It is after sleep that the symptom manifests itself best. The patient is diagnosed with white or gray sputum.

During treatment for heart failure, a person often uses ACE inhibitors. A dry cough may develop due to the use of the drug.

Symptoms may vary in severity for each patient. Manifestations depend directly on the developed cardiac disease.

Diagnostics

Both older and younger people can develop symptoms. The age category for the disease is not very limited, so examination of the cardiovascular system should be carried out on all people. If any of the above-mentioned signs or a cough are detected, the patient should urgently consult a doctor.

To accurately diagnose the disease, the patient undergoes the following measures:

These methods of examining the state of the body make it possible to fully analyze the functionality of the myocardium and determine congestion in the lungs. After all diagnostic measures have been completed, the doctor can prescribe therapy to the patient.

Treatment

When such an unpleasant indicator appears, a person is immediately concerned with the question of how to treat cardiac cough. However, doctors argue that in the treatment of the disease, the emphasis should be placed not on eliminating the cough, but on the very cause of the development of the pathology. This is why the disease is diagnosed and the source of the manifestation is identified.

When determining the disease, it is important to differentiate cardiac from bronchial cough and prescribe the correct treatment. As for folk remedies, they differ significantly in their components for two ailments - cardiac and bronchial cough. Therefore, their use is generally undesirable.

To successfully rid a person of cough symptoms, you need to normalize your daily routine and balance your diet. Failure to comply with these nuances can also provoke significant disturbances in the functioning of the heart and other systems in the patient’s body.

Patients with cough are prescribed medications. Medicines are considered the main and most effective means for treating the disease. They help strengthen the heart muscle and improve its functionality. After the heart’s function is restored, the organ itself begins to pump out excess blood from the lungs, which means blood circulation throughout the body gradually returns to normal and the cough is eliminated.

You can cure cardiac cough with the following drugs:

It is not advisable to use these medications on your own. First, the cardiologist needs to establish an accurate diagnosis and, after examination, prescribe certain medications that are suitable for the characteristics of the patient’s body.

In addition to medications, the attending doctor advises following these simple rules:

  • maintain a daily routine - normalize work and rest time;
  • do exercises in the morning;
  • to walk outside;
  • distance yourself from stress;
  • eat healthy and fresh foods - do not consume a lot of salt, coffee, black tea, fatty and spicy foods;
  • eliminate negative habits.

Prevention

Any child or adult with the slightest signs of malaise and a slight cough should immediately seek help from a doctor. In the early stages, the disease is always much easier to eliminate and prevent the development of complications.

In order to prevent cardiac cough, doctors advise following the rules of a healthy lifestyle, giving up bad habits and monitoring your condition.

If you think that you have a cardiac cough and symptoms characteristic of this disease, then doctors can help you: a cardiologist, a therapist.

We also suggest using our online disease diagnostic service, which selects probable diseases based on the entered symptoms.

Microinfarction (a type of coronary heart disease) is a small-focal myocardial lesion that develops against the background of insufficient blood circulation and is characterized by the necrosis of small areas of the heart muscle. This is one of the most common diseases of the cardiovascular system, which serves as a harbinger of the development of a more serious cardiac pathology - a heart attack.

A defect or anatomical abnormality of the heart and vascular system that occurs primarily during fetal development or at the birth of a child is called congenital heart disease or congenital heart disease. The name congenital heart defect is a diagnosis that doctors diagnose in almost 1.7% of newborns. Types of congenital heart disease Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment The disease itself is an anomaly in the development of the heart and the structure of its blood vessels. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that in almost 90% of cases newborns do not live to see one month. Statistics also show that in 5% of cases, children with congenital heart disease die before the age of 15 years. Congenital heart defects have many types of cardiac abnormalities that lead to changes in intracardiac and systemic hemodynamics. With the development of congenital heart disease, disturbances in the blood flow of the greater and lesser circles, as well as blood circulation in the myocardium, are observed. The disease occupies one of the leading positions found in children. Due to the fact that congenital heart disease is dangerous and fatal for children, it is worth analyzing the disease in more detail and finding out all the important points, which this material will tell you about.

It is customary to perceive a rapid heartbeat regardless of the specificity of its origin as a term such as tachycardia. Average figures for this are on the order of over 100 beats per minute. Tachycardia, the symptoms of which, although they consist of rapid heartbeat, is characterized, however, by the correctness of the heartbeat rhythm, and accordingly, the duration of the intervals that occur between heartbeats is also constant. The same condition, which is characterized by the sudden onset of tachycardia and its sudden termination, is defined as paroxysmal tachycardia.

A disease that is characterized by the formation of pulmonary insufficiency, presented in the form of a massive release of transudate from the capillaries into the pulmonary cavity and ultimately promoting infiltration of the alveoli, is called pulmonary edema. In simple terms, pulmonary edema is a condition where fluid stagnates in the lungs and has leaked through the blood vessels. The disease is characterized as an independent symptom and can develop on the basis of other serious ailments of the body.

Myocarditis is the general name for inflammatory processes in the heart muscle, or myocardium. The disease can appear against the background of various infections and autoimmune lesions, exposure to toxins or allergens. A distinction is made between primary myocardial inflammation, which develops as an independent disease, and secondary, when cardiac pathology is one of the main manifestations of a systemic disease. With timely diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of myocarditis and its causes, the prognosis for recovery is the most successful.

With the help of exercise and abstinence, most people can do without medicine.

Symptoms and treatment of human diseases

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Source: http://simptomer.ru/bolezni/serdtse-i-sosudy/2285-serdechnyy-kashel-simptomy

Cough with heart failure: symptoms and treatment

From this article you will learn: why a cough appears in heart failure. What additional symptoms are accompanied by cardiac cough, methods of its treatment.

Cough appears in heart disease due to stagnation of blood in the pulmonary circulation.

Click on photo to enlarge

This symptom indicates stage 2 of chronic heart failure and requires urgent treatment. Heart failure is the general name for a condition where the heart is unable to fully perform its function; it can be caused by various pathologies.

You can get rid of cardiac cough by eliminating the cause of heart failure. Often this can only be done through surgery.

Heart cough has certain symptoms, you will find them in this article. If you find these in yourself, immediately go to a cardiologist. If you do not pay attention to this sign and do not start treatment or change its tactics, cardiac asthma will appear.

Causes of cardiac cough

It is caused by heart failure, which, in turn, appears against the background of congenital or acquired heart defects.

The presence of this symptom distinguishes the following pathologies:

  • left ventricular hypertrophy;
  • stenosis of one or more heart valves;
  • insufficiency of one or more heart valves;
  • cardiomyopathy;
  • myocarditis;
  • atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels or their thrombosis (provoke insufficient oxygen supply to the myocardium);
  • chronic arterial hypertension;
  • cardiac amyloidosis (a metabolic disorder in which proteins are deposited in the tissues of the heart; this is a fairly rare disease, characterized by high mortality, and it cannot be completely cured);
  • ventricular septal defect.

Also, a dry cough can be a side effect of ACE inhibitors, drugs that lower blood pressure. In this case, if a symptom significantly worsens the patient’s quality of life (for example, prevents him from falling asleep at night), the doctor will replace the medicine with another one that the patient’s body will tolerate better.

Symptoms

A cardiac cough is always dry. Only at the last stage of heart failure can it be accompanied by bleeding.

It is complemented by other signs of chronic heart failure:

  • shortness of breath (at stage 2A - with little physical activity, at stage 2B - even at rest);
  • feeling of lack of air, intolerance to stuffy rooms;
  • dizziness, sometimes fainting;
  • swelling;
  • attacks of heart pain;
  • rhythm disturbances.

Differences between a heart cough and a cold cough

Diagnostics

Diagnostics is necessary in order to determine treatment tactics. It is carried out in several stages:

  1. X-ray of the lungs - allows you to detect congestion.
  2. ECG – to detect heart rhythm disturbances.
  3. EchoCG (ultrasound of the heart) - using this method, you can examine the structure of the heart and determine the cause of heart failure.
  4. Transesophageal echocardiography - helps to evaluate the structure of the heart in more detail than conventional echocardiography, as well as to identify intracardiac blood clots (a common occurrence in chronic heart failure).
  5. Coronary angiography is used for suspected atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels.

In addition to instrumental ones, biochemical methods of studying the patient’s body are also used:

  • Blood tests (general, serum creatinine, thyroid hormones).
  • Urinalysis - allows you to diagnose hypertension caused by kidney disease.

How to get rid of heart cough

Treatment consists of eliminating the underlying disease that caused heart failure.

The cardiac cough itself, as a symptom, sometimes requires the use of antitussives with an anesthetic effect. They are used if this symptom is very pronounced and is not alleviated by basic treatment.

Codelac is an antitussive agent with an anesthetic effect.

Drug therapy

For heart failure, doctors may recommend taking medications from the following groups:

  • vasodilators;
  • ACE inhibitors or beta blockers;
  • glycosides;
  • diuretics;
  • antiarrhythmic;
  • anticoagulants.

Their action is aimed at dilating blood vessels, eliminating high blood pressure, improving metabolic processes in the myocardium, reducing swelling, normalizing heart rate and preventing the formation of blood clots.

If a cardiac cough appears against the background of coronary atherosclerosis, the cardiologist will prescribe lipid-lowering drugs that prevent further deposition of fat on the walls of blood vessels.

Atorvastatin is a lipid-lowering drug

Surgical interventions

They eliminate the root cause of heart failure and are therefore more effective than conservative treatment methods. But at the same time, the operation can lead to dangerous complications, especially in old age. Before deciding on surgery, the cardiologist weighs the pros and cons.

Operations for various heart defects:

Physiotherapy

A sedentary lifestyle is contraindicated for patients with heart failure.

They are recommended breathing exercises and aerobic physical activity (special therapeutic exercises, walking or light jogging, depending on the condition, etc.)

When prescribing physical therapy, the doctor takes into account the following indicators:

  1. No shortness of breath at rest.
  2. Respiration rate no more than 30 per minute.
  3. Fatigue during exercise is slight.

Diet

If you don't adjust your diet, treatment will be much less effective.

Be sure to avoid salt. Do not drink more than 1.5 liters of water per day. Don't eat fatty and fried foods. If you are overweight, eat only low-calorie foods.

Include more vegetable oils, fruits, vegetables, and herbs in your diet.

Take vitamins and minerals necessary for normal heart function (consult your doctor first).

Folk remedies

Treatment can be supplemented with alternative medicine methods. Before using any of them, consult your cardiologist.

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Heart cough: folk and medicinal treatment of the disease

The concept of “cardiac cough” is very conditional. From a medical point of view, such a disease does not exist; cough can be a symptom of various heart diseases. The danger of such a cough is that it is easily confused with bronchitis and other respiratory diseases, missing such a serious illness as heart failure.

Causes of cardiac cough

A cardiac cough is a cough that occurs as a result of heart disease

Cough in heart failure occurs due to poor circulation. Blood flow weakens, lung nutrition deteriorates and bronchospasm occurs, which is accompanied by shortness of breath and a dry cough.

Cardiac cough, treatment of which begins with identifying the causes, is easily confused with other types of cough. Often a patient comes to a therapist to treat a cough, but a heart disease is discovered.

Heart failure usually begins with disruption of the left ventricle of the heart. It is unable to pump blood, as a result, blood pressure in the veins and vessels increases, blood stagnates in the lungs, causing tissue swelling.

The causes of cardiac cough are those diseases and conditions that lead to the development of heart failure:

  • Myocarditis. Myocarditis occurs when the heart muscle called the myocardium becomes inflamed. The cause of inflammation is often an infection or rheumatoid disease. Infectious myocarditis begins with malaise, fatigue, tachycardia, chest pain, shortness of breath and a dry reflex cough.
  • Cardiomyopathy. This term implies various myocardial lesions that lead to heart failure, but are not of an infectious nature. Sclerotic processes begin to occur in the myocardial cells. The danger of this disease is that it can lead to sudden cardiac death.
  • Post-infarction cardiosclerosis. This condition is accompanied by pinching of the myocardial muscle fibers, which leads to heart failure. With cardiosclerosis, shortness of breath with cough, edema, severe forms of arrhythmias, and tachycardia are observed.
  • Mitral valve prolapse. This is a fairly common heart condition in which part of the mitral valve swells and bulges. This disease can be congenital or acquired. Often at first the disease is asymptomatic, and then shortness of breath, heart failure, and chest pain appear.
  • An upper respiratory tract infection should not be ruled out. In heart diseases, infections occur very often, so complex treatment may be required.

Symptoms, danger signs and complications

Cardiac cough is a serious and dangerous disease that requires treatment

Cough itself is a symptom of one of the heart diseases. However, it has its own characteristics. Cardiac cough can be distinguished from other types of cough by the following features:

  • Dyspnea. A cardiac cough is often accompanied by shortness of breath. It can appear after physical activity or without it. If shortness of breath and a reflex dry cough occur at rest, it is worth visiting a cardiologist.
  • Chest pain. A cardiac cough may be accompanied by chest pain. As a rule, this is a mild, stabbing pain.
  • Cough at night. In heart patients, cough can occur at any time, but most often it appears at night while lying down. A person wakes up from shortness of breath and a coughing attack and tries to reflexively sit up, since in this position the symptoms weaken.
  • Edema. In heart failure, edema occurs very often. They can appear on the face or limbs both after exercise and without it.
  • Swelling of the neck veins. With heart failure, the load on the veins increases, and you may notice their swelling in the neck area.
  • Sputum discharge. A cardiac cough may also be accompanied by the production of a small amount of sputum. There may be streaks of blood in it, but it usually does not contain any admixtures of pus.

If heart failure is not complicated by respiratory diseases, then other than coughing, no other signs of infection will be found. Fever, rhinitis, and sore throat are usually absent.

Cough in heart failure can be of a different nature: debilitating and paroxysmal, short and sharp, with sputum or dry. When contacting your doctor, it is important to describe your cough in detail.

Dangerous signs are the appearance of blood in the sputum, severe shortness of breath, asthma attacks, and loss of consciousness.

If you suspect asthma, you should call an ambulance. The most severe complication is pulmonary edema. It occurs in cases of acute ventricular failure and can be fatal. However, the likelihood of developing pulmonary edema with a chronic course of the disease and regular treatment is not too high. More often the disease occurs with alternating remissions and relapses.

Drug treatment

A cardiologist treats cardiac cough

You can get rid of cardiac cough as a symptom only after treating the disease that served as the root cause.

First, the doctor will order an examination (blood test, ultrasound, ECG, x-ray, tomography), make a diagnosis, and then prescribe medication:

  • Diuretics. Diuretics help cope with fluid stagnation in tissues. The most popular diuretic for heart failure is Furosemide. It quickly copes with swelling, but before you start taking it you need to make sure your kidneys are functioning normally. Drugs such as Torasemide, Indapaid and various diuretic herbs may also be prescribed (with caution).
  • Vasodilators. These drugs relax the walls of blood vessels and promote their expansion, relieve spasms, improving blood circulation. Some vasodilators are taken long-term, in courses, others are short-acting and taken once if necessary. For heart failure, nitroglycerin preparations are often prescribed in the form of tablets and sprays, Izoket, Cardix.
  • Antitussives. They are prescribed to relieve a coughing attack, but without treating the heart disease, the coughing attacks will return. Antitussive drugs such as Codelac, Sinekod, or drugs to liquefy and remove mucus from the bronchi, if any, may be prescribed (Bromhexine, ACC).
  • Beta blockers. In heart failure, the body begins to produce adrenaline to provoke cardiac work, but this process cannot continue for a long time, since hormones negatively affect the work of the heart. Beta blockers slow down the heart rate, lower blood pressure and reduce the load on the myocardium and blood vessels. These drugs include Acebutalol, Carvedilol.

The duration of taking a particular drug is determined by the doctor. In addition to drug treatment, the patient must follow a daily routine, moderate physical activity, give up bad habits (alcohol, smoking), eat right and avoid increasing blood cholesterol levels, stress and emotional overload.

Heart disease is always serious and potentially dangerous, so you should not self-medicate. All heart diseases require examination, consultation with a doctor and proper treatment.

Traditional methods of treatment

It is not recommended to get carried away with traditional methods in the treatment of heart diseases. Most of them require medication, and the effect of various herbs on the heart can be unpredictable.

Any folk recipes can be used only after consulting a doctor and as an additional therapy, but not the main treatment:

  • A medicine made from honey, lemons and garlic. To prepare this remedy, you need to take 10 peeled lemons and scald them with boiling water. Then I squeeze the juice out of them, add 1 kg of honey and 10 heads of chopped garlic. The medicine is infused for 10 days in a cool place protected from light. Take 1 teaspoon before meals up to 4 times a day. This remedy is believed to be effective in the initial stages of arrhythmia.
  • Herbs. There are a large number of herbal remedies for the treatment of heart failure, but their effectiveness is considered controversial for serious heart pathologies. “Heart” herbs include lemon balm, hawthorn, yarrow, valerian, motherwort, nettle, horsetail, hawthorn, and rose hips. Herbal infusions are taken daily until symptoms disappear.
  • Iodine. In folk medicine, there is such a recipe for the treatment of heart diseases: add iodine tincture to milk and take half an hour before meals for 2 weeks.
  • Kalina. For heart diseases, viburnum is useful in any form. Most often, an infusion is made from viburnum berries with honey and taken 2-3 times a day.
  • Carrot juice. Fresh carrot juice is beneficial for blood vessels and the heart, as well as for the entire body as a whole. You need to drink half a glass of it every day at least 3 times a day.
  • Blackberry decoction. A decoction of blackberry twigs helps get rid of shortness of breath and cardiac cough, and also has a relaxing effect on the nervous system.

Useful video - Signs of heart failure:

Most often, folk remedies do not help cure cardiac cough and eliminate its cause, but they relieve symptoms and bring temporary relief. It is worth remembering that some herbs and berries can cause a severe allergic reaction.

To prevent heart failure, we can recommend quitting smoking, a healthy lifestyle, active recreation, proper nutrition with a minimum amount of animal fats, weight control, and adherence to a daily and drinking regimen.

Cardiac cough during pregnancy

Cardiac cough is dangerous for pregnant women, as it can affect the normal development of the fetus

If a woman already had any heart disease before conception, there is a high probability that it will worsen during pregnancy. The load on a pregnant woman's body increases significantly, the load on the cardiovascular system also increases, so the likelihood of heart failure increases.

The most critical period is considered to be the week of pregnancy, when the volume of circulating blood increases as much as possible. Childbirth itself and the postpartum period are also considered a dangerous period. Often women with heart defects and other heart diseases are not allowed to give birth, but have a planned caesarean section.

During pregnancy, heart failure manifests itself in severe weakness and fatigue, even if the woman is prescribed bed rest, periodic dry cough, especially at night, shortness of breath, and bluish skin.

If a woman already has a cardiac cough, her condition should be constantly monitored and preferably in a hospital.

The most dangerous are severe shortness of breath with coughing in the absence of exertion, as they can be a harbinger of pulmonary edema. Heart failure during pregnancy is dangerous not only for the woman, but also for the child, since if the blood circulation is impaired, fetal hypoxia begins and it lacks oxygen. With severe hypoxia, growth and development may slow down.

A woman with heart failure, but in the absence of serious complications, is admitted to the hospital three times during pregnancy: 8-10 weeks for examination and maintenance of pregnancy, a week to monitor fetal development and before birth to monitor labor activity.

During pregnancy, most drugs are prohibited, especially in the first trimester. Heart failure during this period is treated with acceptable drugs: diuretics, beta blockers, agents to improve myocardial metabolism. For severe coughing attacks, safe antitussive medications can be prescribed. A severe cough can be dangerous due to tension in the abdominal wall and increased uterine tone.

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Comments (1)

Yoshkarolinka

02.09.2017 at 15:04 | #

Thank you, very useful information for me. This is exactly the kind of cough that worries me, but I didn’t think that it was a harbinger of pulmonary diseases.

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What is cardiac cough

The expression “cardiac cough” used by most doctors is conditional. It is still unclear whether it exists or not, but the fact that the term has taken root and is actively used in medical practice is absolutely certain.

A true cough of cardiac origin means a cough that occurs with left ventricular failure. In this case, fluid stagnates in the lungs and overwhelms the pulmonary circulation. For the liquid to cause a cough, there must be quite a lot of it, then it will penetrate the bronchi and alveoli. As a result, cardiac asthma and pulmonary edema develop - the main causes of such a cough. This is a dangerous, life-threatening condition that requires immediate attention. This development mechanism is impossible in people who suffer from so-called cardiac cough for a long time. However, it is present in some heart diseases and is considered one of their characteristic symptoms.

What diseases does it occur with?

The main causes of cardiac cough are the following heart diseases:

  • heart failure;
  • heart defects in the child (although not every defect entails the appearance of a cough);
  • cardiac ischemia;
  • pathology of the valve apparatus.

Symptoms

A cough of cardiac origin often resembles bronchitis. But most often patients suffer from a dry heart cough. As for bleeding, this is possible in severe cases of heart failure. The following symptoms will help distinguish a cardiac cough from a cough of another origin:

  • Occurs under high loads.
  • Typically observed at night.
  • Accompanied by a strong heartbeat.
  • Most often it is dry. There is no discharge, except in acute cases of heart failure, when blood is removed from the lungs in the form of bloody sputum. It is important to distinguish such a cough from bronchitis and smoker's cough.
  • Typically, patients complain of pain in the chest area.
  • Shortness of breath appears, the person feels short of air, breathing becomes hoarse and intermittent. This happens first under significant loads, and then during conversation, fast walking, walking up the stairs, even in a calm state.
  • Fainting may occur due to increased chest pressure and reduced blood flow to the heart.

Treatment

To get rid of such an unpleasant phenomenon, it is necessary to treat the disease that caused it. This requires examination by a cardiologist, who will prescribe therapy after establishing an accurate diagnosis. Incorrect actions can harm the patient, so it is important to distinguish a cardiac cough from a bronchial cough. Doctors do not recommend suppressing it, since it helps cleanse the bronchi.

To get rid of the unpleasant symptom caused by heart pathologies, a whole range of measures are used:

  1. Maintaining a daily routine.
  2. Proper nutrition.
  3. Drug therapy.
  4. Elimination of bad habits and stressful situations.

Medicines are the basis for the treatment of cardiac cough.

Drug therapy

Medicines form the basis for the treatment of cough in cardiac pathologies. Medicines strengthen the heart muscle and restore its functions. As soon as the heart function returns to normal, it begins to independently pump out accumulated blood from the lungs. Thus, blood circulation returns to normal and the cough stops. If you suffer from coughing attacks at night, the following remedies may be prescribed:

  • antitussive drugs with an anesthetic effect;
  • diuretics;
  • vasodilators.

Other treatments

As mentioned above, for coughs associated with heart disease, an integrated approach is important, which includes:

  1. Maintaining a daily routine. The correct work and rest regime is of great importance in cardiac pathologies.
  2. Healthy eating. The diet should be dominated by fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, lean meat and dairy products, steamed, boiled or baked dishes. You should avoid salty, smoked, pickled, spicy, canned foods, as well as foods rich in cholesterol.
  3. Getting rid of bad habits. If you have a heart condition, you will have to give up smoking and alcoholic beverages.
  4. Resistance to stress. It is impossible to avoid troubles in life, but you need to learn not to get nervous, especially over trifles.
  5. Oxygen therapy. This treatment method reduces shortness of breath, relieves palpitations, increases physical activity, normalizes sleep, and improves mood.

Finally

Cough associated with cardiac pathologies, in particular acute heart failure, may be a danger signal. At the first alarming signs, you should consult a doctor so that treatment can be started on time.

Marina — April 15,: 38

How to take this tea, how many times a day, 1-2 months? The package only says how to brew it.

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Cough of cardiac origin: occurrence, signs, how to treat

What can we say about ordinary people if the luminaries of cardiological science use such a term as “cardiac cough” in their daily practice? That is why it has the right to life, since it is still a separate symptom of a diverse cardiac pathology. Which one exactly is another question, because not all heart diseases are manifested by a cough, but many are accompanied by shortness of breath, which, although coughing, gives. In this regard, it turns out that it is necessary to remember about cardiac asthma - a serious and painful condition, because here, too, somehow one cannot do without this reflex act.

Tortured by cough

People with cardiac pathology are prone to inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract and lungs, but it happens that only a cough brings a person to the doctor’s office, where the cause of problems with the respiratory system is determined. It turns out that a painful cough that worsens with physical exertion or forces you to sleep while sitting is nothing more than heart failure. In such cases, of course, treatment of cardiac cough begins with an in-depth examination and treatment of the heart.

The result of diseases that decompensate cardiac activity (acquired valve defects, especially the mitral valve, myocarditis, cardiomyopathies, post-infarction cardiosclerosis, etc.) is heart failure, entailing venous stagnation in both circulation circles.

Impaired blood flow, or rather, insufficiency of blood circulation in the lungs, will certainly cause bronchospasm, which does not take long to wait, since it goes almost parallel to vasospasm, so cough in this case will be a consequence of cardiac pathology. In addition, a reflex dry cough can occur not only with heart disease; it can be caused by pathological changes in the aorta (mesaortitis, aneurysm) and mediastinal diseases.

Heart, lungs... cough

To understand the causes of cardiac cough, constant shortness of breath, and in some severe cases the development of cardiac asthma with transition to pulmonary edema, we should briefly consider the mechanism of depression of respiratory function, which goes through several stages:

  • The pathological processes occurring in the left ventricle lead to a decrease in its contractility, when the affected ventricle is not able to pump blood coming to it through the pulmonary veins into the aorta. As a result, the pressure in the pulmonary circulation increases, that is, in the lungs;
  • A slowdown in blood flow in the microvasculature of the lungs leads to an increase in venous pressure and a lack of oxygen in the tissues;
  • Against the background of hypoxia (oxygen starvation), fibroblasts form collagen fibers, which are deposited in the walls of small vessels and in the interalveolar septa, which ultimately leads to pneumosclerosis;
  • Small vessels become empty, sclerosed, obliterated (lumens disappear due to their filling with connective tissue), reducing the volume of blood flow in the lungs;
  • The reduced number of microvasculature vessels further increases the pressure in the pulmonary artery, which entails first hypertrophy and then dilatation (expansion) of the right parts of the heart, which contributes to venous stagnation in the systemic circle. But in principle, it turns out to be a vicious circle...
  • With an unfavorable course (ventricular fibrillation, repeated myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, asystole), the function of the left ventricle weakens (left ventricular failure) and the outflow of blood from the lungs is disrupted, which stagnates there. In the event of acute left ventricular failure, these changes can quickly lead to the formation of cardiac asthma, and then pulmonary edema.

Diagram of blood circulation and oxygen saturation

However, if there is only stagnation in the systemic circulation, then coughing with heart failure (left ventricular) will not necessarily result in such terrible complications as pulmonary edema. It will proceed chronically, as if worsening in the evenings or at night, without giving the patient the opportunity to take a horizontal position (why such people prefer to sleep half-sitting).

Video: human respiratory mechanisms

Signs of a heart cough

Since this complex neuro-reflex act, carried out by a sharp exhalation with a closed glottis and thereby removing phlegm from the respiratory tract, is itself a sign of some disease, it is very difficult to determine the symptoms of a cardiac cough. And it is even more difficult for the patient to connect together such manifestations as:

  1. Dry cough;
  2. Cyanosis (sometimes);
  3. Heart pain, rapid heartbeat;
  4. Possible fainting;
  5. Edema;
  6. Swelling of the neck veins;
  7. Dyspnea;
  8. Sputum discharge, sometimes streaked with blood.

Thus, a cough is often attributed to respiratory diseases, bronchitis or allergies. However, its character can still help to suggest an idea: where, in what place, and in what circle of blood circulation is the pathology hidden.

Cough of cardiac origin occurs:

  • Paroxysmal and dry, accompanied by difficulty breathing, characteristic of mitral stenosis and resulting from a sharp enlargement of the left atrium. In some cases, coughing is accompanied by hemoptysis. Sweating, weakness and low-grade body temperature can also be associated with breathing problems with mitral valve stenosis;
  • Evening, exhausting and loud cough, which appears in a horizontal position and forces the person to stand up. This indicates chronic left ventricular failure, it can recur several times during the night, the person wakes up from suffocation, it is difficult for him to cough, but when this happens, relief comes;
  • An irritating, dry cardiac cough indicates that congestion has not yet affected the systemic circulation, but if pulmonary congestion has gone far, then as a result of the breakdown of red blood cells released from the microcirculatory bed, “rusty” sputum appears mixed with brown (sometimes black) inclusions ( brown induration of the lungs);
  • A sharp, dry and short cough, often combined with pain in the heart or throughout the chest, is characteristic of rheumatism complicated by pericarditis;
  • Hemoptysis may be a sign of thromboembolic syndrome, which is present in severe pulmonary congestion resulting from right heart failure secondary to atrial fibrillation.

In children, excess pressure in the pulmonary artery, accompanied by a cardiac cough, is observed with congenital heart defects with enrichment of the pulmonary circulation. This occurs due to additional blood discharge from left to right (Eisenmenger syndrome).

How to get rid of it and sleep peacefully?

How to treat and is it possible to suppress a cough of cardiac origin? This question probably worries everyone who is exhausted and exhausted by it. Especially if it's dry.

The very first stage in the fight against such a scourge will be the treatment of the underlying disease, that is, cardiac pathology, but this is a matter for cardiologists. The patient, however, should be aware of some medications that are used to treat cardiac cough. This:

  1. Diuretics that remove fluid reduce swelling and thus reduce unnecessary stress on the circulatory system (indapamide, veroshpiron);
  2. Vasodilators that dilate blood vessels (losartan, atacand);
  3. Antitussives with an anesthetic or expectorant and sputum thinning effect (if necessary);
  4. In case of hemoptysis, first of all, an examination is prescribed to localize the bleeding (R-graphy) and sputum culture, which, in the case of a cough of cardiac origin, can identify “cells of heart defects” - siderophages. Self-medication is inappropriate here; such patients, as a rule, are in the hospital under the watchful eye of an aesculapian.

It is not recommended to use folk remedies as treatment for such problems, because medicinal herbs, as components of recipes used at home, can have different effects on the cardiovascular system. But if you really cannot bear to make some kind of decoction or infusion with your own hands, then it is better to first consult with your doctor, and only then deal with pharmaceuticals.

Cardiac cough is a rather intrusive symptom. And not only with regards to homo sapiens. All mammals are susceptible to this disease, because their respiratory and circulatory systems have much in common with humans, so it should not be surprising that a similar pathology occurs in dogs and cats. True, it comes to light later, since our smaller brothers cannot speak up and complain. However, while observing the pet, the owner begins to notice an incomprehensible uterine cough, which is usually caused by a foreign body that accidentally gets into the throat. More frequent attacks become a reason to visit a doctor.

Source: http://sosudinfo.ru/serdce/serdechnyj-kashel/

Can there be a cough with heart disease?

What is cardiac cough

The expression “cardiac cough” used by most doctors is conditional. It is still unclear whether it exists or not, but the fact that the term has taken root and is actively used in medical practice is absolutely certain.

A true cough of cardiac origin means a cough that occurs with left ventricular failure. In this case, fluid stagnates in the lungs and overwhelms the pulmonary circulation. For the liquid to cause a cough, there must be quite a lot of it, then it will penetrate the bronchi and alveoli. As a result, cardiac asthma and pulmonary edema develop - the main causes of such a cough. This is a dangerous, life-threatening condition that requires immediate attention. This development mechanism is impossible in people who suffer from so-called cardiac cough for a long time. However, it is present in some heart diseases and is considered one of their characteristic symptoms.

What diseases does it occur with?

The main causes of cardiac cough are the following heart diseases:

  • heart failure ;
  • heart defects in the child (although not every defect entails the appearance of a cough);
  • cardiac ischemia;
  • pathology of the valve apparatus.

A cough of cardiac origin often resembles bronchitis. But most often patients suffer from a dry heart cough. As for bleeding, this is possible in severe cases of heart failure. The following symptoms will help distinguish a cardiac cough from a cough of another origin:

  • Occurs under high loads.
  • Typically observed at night.
  • Accompanied by a strong heartbeat.
  • Most often it is dry. There is no discharge, except in acute cases of heart failure, when blood is removed from the lungs in the form of bloody sputum. It is important to distinguish such a cough from bronchitis and smoker's cough.
  • Typically, patients complain of pain in the chest area.
  • Shortness of breath appears, the person feels short of air, breathing becomes hoarse and intermittent. This happens first under significant loads, and then during conversation, fast walking, walking up the stairs, even in a calm state.
  • Fainting may occur due to increased chest pressure and reduced blood flow to the heart.

To get rid of such an unpleasant phenomenon, it is necessary to treat the disease that caused it. This requires examination by a cardiologist, who will prescribe therapy after establishing an accurate diagnosis. Incorrect actions can harm the patient, so it is important to distinguish a cardiac cough from a bronchial cough. Doctors do not recommend suppressing it, since it helps cleanse the bronchi.

To get rid of the unpleasant symptom caused by heart pathologies, a whole range of measures are used:

  1. Maintaining a daily routine.
  2. Proper nutrition.
  3. Drug therapy.
  4. Elimination of bad habits and stressful situations.

Medicines are the basis for the treatment of cardiac cough.

Drug therapy

Medicines form the basis for the treatment of cough in cardiac pathologies. Medicines strengthen the heart muscle and restore its functions. As soon as the heart function returns to normal, it begins to independently pump out accumulated blood from the lungs. Thus, blood circulation returns to normal and the cough stops. If you suffer from coughing attacks at night, the following remedies may be prescribed:
  • antitussive drugs with an anesthetic effect;
  • diuretics;
  • vasodilators.

Other treatments

As mentioned above, for coughs associated with heart disease, an integrated approach is important, which includes:

  1. Maintaining a daily routine. The correct work and rest regime is of great importance in cardiac pathologies.
  2. Healthy eating. The diet should be dominated by fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, lean meat and dairy products, steamed, boiled or baked dishes. You should avoid salty, smoked, pickled, spicy, canned foods, as well as foods rich in cholesterol.
  3. Getting rid of bad habits. If you have a heart condition, you will have to give up smoking and alcoholic beverages.
  4. Resistance to stress. It is impossible to avoid troubles in life, but you need to learn not to get nervous, especially over trifles.
  5. Oxygen therapy. This treatment method reduces shortness of breath, relieves palpitations, increases physical activity, normalizes sleep, and improves mood.

Finally

Cough associated with cardiac pathologies, in particular acute heart failure, may be a danger signal. At the first alarming signs, you should consult a doctor so that treatment can be started on time.

Cardiac cough - what is it and how to treat it?

Content

What is a cardiac cough? This is a sign of swelling, accumulation and stagnation of fluid in the lungs, causing coughing when they fill. A dangerous condition occurs when fluid leaks into the bronchi and alveoli. Urgent hospitalization of the patient is required. If cough syndrome appears against the background of heart failure, when a person begins to choke and has pain in the heart area even at rest, one should not hesitate to contact a cardiologist.

Characteristics of cough

A cough from the heart is observed only when the contractility of the heart muscle is weakened and impaired, and blood circulation in the systemic circulation is reduced.

There is a gradual death of cardiac tissue and the primary signs of cardiac cough are the appearance of shortness of breath, slight swelling in the legs against the background of:

  • decreased oxygen supply to the body;
  • lack of nutrients reaching the lungs and heart.

A cough is a symptom of a heart problem, but it can easily be confused with a common cold. Only a doctor, after diagnosis, can prescribe the correct treatment. If unpleasant symptoms appear, you should not hesitate to contact a specialist.

Cough with heart disease usually manifests itself in attacks in the evening and at night, occurs against the background of heart disease and is in no way associated with a cold. Only a cardiologist can distinguish cardiac cough and its symptoms from pulmonary cough based on the diagnosis and a series of examinations; only after confirming the final diagnosis will correct and effective treatment be prescribed. If a dry cough appears without mucus discharge, with attacks and with stabbing pain in the heart area, then the condition is dangerous and you can no longer postpone a visit to the doctor.

Causes

A similar condition occurs when fluid accumulates and stagnates in the pulmonary and systemic circulation and begins to penetrate into the bronchi and alveoli.

The patient has all the symptoms of heart failure:

  • failure of breathing rhythm;
  • dry and clogging cough without sputum discharge;
  • swelling in the legs;
  • shortness of breath when exercising or climbing stairs.

Cough is a complication of pulmonary edema or cardiac asthma due to irritation of receptors and filling of the pulmonary bronchi with fluid. A dangerous condition occurs, congestion in the lungs, usually due to some cardiovascular diseases (congenital heart disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, pericarditis, heart valve dysfunction).

In cardiovascular diseases, cough does not develop immediately, but gradually with the following manifestations:

  • decreased contractions in the left ventricle of the heart;
  • the inability to pump blood into the aorta through the pulmonary veins;
  • increased venous pressure in the lungs;
  • slowing blood flow;
  • insufficient oxygen supply to tissues;
  • swelling of the mucous membrane of the lungs, irritation and stretching of the alveolar receptors when filled with liquid;
  • swelling of the lungs;
  • irritation of the cough center, which causes a cardiac cough due to stagnation and accumulation of blood in the lungs.

How does pathology manifest itself?

The symptoms of cardiac cough are similar to ordinary bronchitis: but it is impossible to confuse it, since it usually manifests itself in the evening and at night, accompanied by increased heart rate and pulsation when performing physical exercises or lifting weights. How to distinguish these two types?

In heart failure, there is usually a dry cough without sputum. Only coughing up blood is possible when blood accumulates in the lungs.

  • chest pain;
  • dyspnea;
  • feeling of lack of air;
  • hoarse and intermittent breathing, usually with attacks, aggravated by exertion, talking, or lifting the patient up the stairs.

If there is insufficient blood flow to the heart area, pressure in the sternum increases and fainting is possible.

The peculiarity of cardiac cough is dryness without sputum production or with the discharge of purulent mucus in the acute course of the disease.

Periodically, after expectoration, the patient feels better when the lungs are cleared a little of the accumulated blood, then the phenomenon repeats again, and the following may appear:

  • attacks of suffocation;
  • increased heart rate;
  • increased cough when lying down;
  • rushes of blood due to excessive congestion of the left ventricle;
  • increased sweating, feelings of weakness;
  • dizziness;
  • swelling and hardening of the ankle, especially after walking in the evening;
  • shortness of breath after long conversations or minor physical activities;
  • increased chest pressure, which can cause fainting.

In case of heart diseases, the symptoms are specific, and cardiac cough (as opposed to pulmonary cough) proceeds somewhat differently.

However, it is difficult to recognize the cause of cough on your own. A full diagnosis is required. Only a cardiologist can recognize the disease and determine its severity based on the data obtained and an ECG (electrocardiogram). Unpleasant symptoms in the form of cough will go away as soon as all provoking factors are eliminated, that is, the underlying disease of the cardiovascular system is cured.

How is diagnosis and treatment carried out?

Cardiac cough is not a separate disease, but only an indicator: it requires a full diagnosis, since the symptoms are similar to attacks of asthma and severe bronchitis. Sometimes a cough resembles a common cold, but pain and burning in the sternum and shortness of breath should alert you.

The main task in treatment:

  1. Eliminate accumulations in the alveoli and bronchi.
  2. Remove excess mucus.
  3. Free the airways from pathological accumulations.

A thorough examination is required before treating cardiac cough in order to direct therapy not only to eliminate the existing symptoms, but also the factors that led to the development of swelling in the left and right ventricles of the heart.

An x-ray is performed to detect stagnation of blood in the lungs and determine the degree of increase in the size of the heart cavity, as well as tomography to clarify the diagnosis and condition of the heart myocardium.

Cough appears as a symptom against the background of heart failure, so when asked how to treat cardiac cough, the answer is:

  1. Restore the functionality of the heart muscle.
  2. Eliminate unpleasant symptoms such as coughing or bloody sputum.
  3. Normalize blood circulation and eliminate congestion in the systemic and pulmonary circulation, which provokes a pathological condition.

Drug treatment consists of prescribing:

  • vasodilators (Losartan) to dilate blood vessels;
  • diuretics (Veroshpiron, Indapamide) to eliminate swelling;
  • anesthetics to reduce the load on blood circulation and alleviate the patient’s condition;
  • antitussives to suppress cough.

It is important for patients to follow a diet, avoid eating heavy foods - fatty, fried, and also avoid drinking alcohol and smoking. It is necessary to exclude all factors that can provoke the development of heart failure and cough, leading to circulatory disorders - a dangerous condition for humans.

Patients should dosage physical activity in case of heart failure. You shouldn’t completely give up activity and sports, but you shouldn’t overdo it and don’t put unnecessary strain on your heart.

Treatment of cough with folk remedies, in particular homeopathic ones, is unacceptable. The reaction of the cardiac system with dilated vessels can be ambiguous.

Cardiac cough, accompanied by pain in the heart area and shortness of breath, requires a full examination in a clinical setting, and further prescription of a treatment course only under the strict supervision of a cardiologist. In addition, it is important to maintain a daily routine and sleep (at least 8 hours), to eradicate all provoking factors that can aggravate the situation and lead to new attacks of cardiac cough.

This is a sign of a serious illness - cardiac pathology, therefore, undergoing a complete diagnosis is extremely important for the cardiologist to choose an effective treatment course. It is the heart pathology that needs to be treated, but the cough as a symptom will eventually go away on its own.

Home treatment and prevention recommendations

Often people confuse a cardiac cough with a cold and try to treat themselves with antitussives. This is wrong: folk remedies can only lead to complications and aggravate the situation.

Cardiac cough, its symptoms and treatment are the “concern” of a cardiologist exclusively.

  • restore heart function;
  • pump out accumulated blood in the lungs;
  • normalize blood circulation.

Among folk remedies, you can only take decoctions and infusions for a severe cough, but only after consulting a doctor.

A cardiac cough is usually obsessive, appears at night, and sometimes begins slightly in the form of coughing and sore throat, as if there is a foreign body. But as heart failure progresses, symptoms become more persistent. A cardiac cough with any heart disease is a reason to urgently consult a doctor, undergo a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment, observing a daily routine, a combination of work and rest, as well as including vitamins, fruits, fresh herbs, dairy products, and lean meats in the diet.

Exclusion from the diet of spicy, smoked, canned foods, giving up alcohol and smoking. Stress should be avoided, and stress on the heart should be reduced and dosed.

Oxygen therapy is considered an additional and effective treatment method:

  • to reduce shortness of breath;
  • to stabilize heart rate;
  • in order to increase physical endurance;
  • to lift your mood and normalize sleep.

Treatment methods must be determined together with your doctor. Patients are closely monitored by a cardiologist to monitor their ongoing well-being.

A cardiac cough is an alarming symptom that a serious illness may be developing. Based on the results of the tests, the attending physician will redirect you to highly specialized specialists - a cardiologist, a phthisiatrician.

Only timely treatment of cardiac cough and elimination of the unpleasant symptom will protect patients from serious complications of heart disease, myocardial development, arrhythmia, heart disease, heart failure, and chronic cardiac ischemia.

Cardiac cough: symptoms, treatment

Many people believe that cough is a symptom of only respiratory diseases, but this is not true. The lungs are closely interconnected with the heart and blood vessels. That is why disturbances in blood circulation can affect the functioning of the respiratory organs, and a person will develop a cardiac cough. This symptom of many diseases of the cardiovascular system may appear before or because of treatment. A cardiac cough resembles the cough of ordinary bronchitis, but is not accompanied by sputum production. In severe cases, streaks of blood may appear in the coughed-up contents. As the disease progresses and is left untreated, cardiac cough can lead to the development of cardiac asthma or pulmonary edema. Such conditions can become life-threatening for the patient and require immediate medical attention.

In this article we will look at the main causes of the appearance, mechanism of development, symptoms and treatment methods for cardiac cough. This knowledge will help you suspect the onset of the disease in time and take the necessary measures to eliminate it, which will prevent the development of serious complications.

The main cause of cardiac cough is stagnation of blood in the lungs, which occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood normally. Such congestion, which decompresses the activity of the heart, leads to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, causing irritation of the bronchi and the cough itself. Heart failure can be provoked by many acute and chronic pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, such as:

Also, causes of cardiac cough can be diseases of the endocrine system, alcohol abuse, smoking, severe forms of anemia, taking certain medications for the treatment of cardiovascular pathologies, and frequent and severe stress.

Why does a cardiac cough occur?

Blood supply to the lungs is provided by the pulmonary circulation, and its effectiveness largely depends on the full functioning of the left ventricle and atrium. The development of cardiac cough goes through several stages. The mechanism of respiratory depression is as follows:

  1. Pathological processes occurring in the left ventricle cause a decrease in its contractility, and it cannot effectively pump blood coming from the pulmonary arteries to the aorta. Such changes in the functioning of the heart lead to an increase in pressure in the lungs and a slowdown in blood microcirculation.
  2. Slow blood flow causes increased venous pressure and oxygen starvation of tissues.
  3. Due to hypoxia, collagen fibers are deposited on the interalveolar septa and walls of small vessels, which cause the development of pneumosclerosis.
  4. The small vessels of the lungs gradually become sclerotic and completely obliterated (overgrown with connective tissue). Such pathological processes lead to a decrease in blood flow in the lungs and an even greater increase in pressure in the pulmonary vessels.
  5. Increased pressure in the pulmonary artery leads to increased load on the left ventricle, and it hypertrophies.
  6. Then dilatation (expansion of the boundaries) of the right half of the heart occurs, which causes stagnation of the systemic circulation. The liquid part of the blood seeps into the lung tissue and irritates the bronchial receptors. The patient develops a cardiac cough, which is chronic, appears when trying to take a horizontal position and worsens in the evening or at night.
  7. With severe complication of the pathological process in the heart (for example, the development of a new attack of heart attack, arrhythmia, ventricular fibrillation, etc.), acute left ventricular failure develops, and its rapid progression can cause attacks of cardiac asthma or pulmonary edema.

Having collected complete information about the nature of the cough, the doctor determines the tactics for further examination of the patient.

A cardiac cough has a number of characteristic features that distinguish it from a cold or bronchial cough:

  1. Cardiac cough is dry. During a cough, the patient does not produce sputum, mucus or pus. During acute attacks, bloody discharge may appear.
  2. The cough is accompanied by cyanosis (blue discoloration) of the lips, nasolabial triangle, earlobes or fingertips.
  3. When coughing, the patient experiences rapid breathing. At first, shortness of breath and cough appear only during physical activity, but as the disease progresses, even a long conversation can cause a suffocating dry cough and rapid breathing.
  4. The cough is accompanied by pain in the heart and palpitations, which are caused by an overload of blood in the heart.
  5. A cough may be accompanied by lightheadedness or vomiting, which is provoked by an increase in chest pressure and a decrease in the volume of blood flowing to the heart.
  6. During coughing attacks, the veins in the patient's neck swell.
  7. A cough appears or intensifies when trying to lie down, because in this position of the body the left ventricle is even more overloaded. Some patients even have to sleep in a half-sitting position. The same symptom can be observed in bronchial asthma, and therefore this patient’s condition requires differential diagnosis.
  8. At the onset of the disease, the cough is accompanied by severe weakness, sweating and dizziness. Next, the patient develops ankle swelling in the evening. In the later stages, swelling becomes denser, more stable and does not disappear by morning.

The above features of cardiac cough can manifest themselves to varying degrees. Their severity depends on the cause of the cough and the severity of the underlying heart disease.

A cardiac cough can be:

  • irritating and dry - in the initial stages of the disease, when stagnation in the systemic circulation has not yet developed;
  • sharp, short and dry, combined with pain in the heart - often observed with rheumatism, which was complicated by pericarditis;
  • dry and paroxysmal, accompanied by difficulty breathing - often observed with mitral stenosis;
  • evening or night, loud and debilitating, appearing in a lying position or when trying to take a horizontal position - characteristic of chronic left ventricular failure;
  • cough with hemoptysis - appears with severe congestion in the lungs due to atrial fibrillation and right ventricular failure, may indicate the development of thromboembolism.

When the first episodes of cardiac cough appear, the patient must consult a doctor and undergo an examination that will identify the cause of abnormalities in the heart. Timely treatment of the detected disease will quickly get rid of the cough and slow down the progression of the underlying disease.

Diagnostics

A survey X-ray of the chest organs allows the doctor to identify congestive changes in the lungs and conduct a differential diagnosis with various diseases that are accompanied by cough.

Symptoms of a cardiac cough may be similar to those of many diseases of the heart and respiratory system. To make an accurate diagnosis, the patient is prescribed the following diagnostic methods:

  • ECG – to detect myocardial ischemia and hypertrophy;
  • Echo-CG - to study and evaluate the contractility of the ventricles and a more detailed study of the structures of the heart;
  • radiography - to identify congestion in the lungs;
  • tomography – for a detailed study of the state of the myocardium.

To eliminate cardiac cough, the patient is prescribed a course of treatment for the underlying disease that caused it. Self-medication of this unpleasant symptom is unacceptable, since attempts to suppress it can lead to undesirable consequences. During a cardiac cough, the bronchi are cleared, and inhibition of these processes will cause an accumulation of discharge from the lungs. That is why the course of therapy should be prescribed only by a cardiologist.

To get rid of cardiac cough, in addition to treating the underlying disease, the doctor will recommend a whole range of measures.

Compliance with the work and rest regime for pathologies of the cardiovascular system allows you to avoid overload and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart. Such patients are recommended to sleep at least 8 hours a day.

Rejection of bad habits

Smoking and alcohol put a serious strain on the heart, and quitting them should happen as soon as possible.

Stress prevention

Stressful situations pose a serious threat to people with heart pathologies, and the patient should learn to cope with them correctly and not get upset over trifles. If necessary, your doctor may recommend taking sedatives.

Frequent walks in the fresh air

With a cardiac cough, tissues are starved of oxygen, and walking in the fresh air will help saturate them with oxygen. This oxygen therapy will not only help eliminate palpitations and shortness of breath, but also normalize mood and sleep.

Healthy eating

For diseases of the cardiovascular system, the doctor may prescribe a special diet or recommend reducing the amount of salt consumed and giving up unhealthy foods (fatty meat, fast food, smoked meats, pickles, soda, strong tea and coffee). All patients are advised not to overeat and monitor their weight, as these factors can provoke and aggravate cardiac cough. Patients should not drink large amounts of liquid (the amount of liquid consumed is determined individually).

Physical activity

Sufficient physical activity helps normalize blood circulation and eliminate congestion. Their intensity should be individual and determined only by the general condition of the patient. At first they should be minimal, and as the condition improves, they should gradually increase.

Drug therapy

To eliminate cardiac cough, the following drugs may be prescribed:

  • diuretics. Indapamide, Trifas, Veroshpiron, etc.;
  • vasodilators: Atacand, Losartan, Candecor;
  • antitussives with an anesthetic effect: prescribed only in cases where coughing attacks significantly aggravate the patient’s condition, causing fainting and severe weakness.

The choice of drugs to eliminate cardiac cough, their dosage and duration of use are determined only by the doctor. Depending on the patient’s condition, the doctor can adjust the treatment regimen.

Folk remedies

Most cardiologists do not recommend using folk remedies to eliminate cardiac cough. You can use some folk recipes only after consulting a doctor and diagnosing the underlying disease that caused the appearance of this unpleasant symptom.

A cardiac cough is the “first warning sign” of many pathologies of the cardiovascular system and a good reason to consult a cardiologist. Not all people who are not involved in medicine can recognize it on their own. Our article will help you suspect the appearance of a cardiac cough in time and take correct and timely measures. Do not self-medicate this alarming and unpleasant symptom and do not delay visiting a doctor, as it can be caused by many dangerous diseases and complicated by cardiac asthma and pulmonary edema. Remember this and be healthy!

Channel One, the program “Live Healthy” with Elena Malysheva on the topic “Why do we cough? Unusual causes of cough" (for cardiac cough see 11:17):

Source: http://kardiologmed.ru/mozhet-li-byt-kashel-pri-zabolevanii-serdtsa.html