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

What is a heart cough? This is a sign of swelling, accumulation and stagnation of fluid in the lungs, provoking a cough when they fill up. There is a dangerous condition, seepage of fluid into the bronchi and alveoli. The patient needs urgent hospitalization. When a cough syndrome appears on the background of heart failure, when a person begins to choke and hurts in the heart area even at rest, one should not hesitate to contact a cardiologist.

Characteristics of cardiac cough

Cough from the heart is observed only with a weakening and violation of the contractility of the heart muscle, a decrease in blood circulation in the systemic circulation.

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

• decrease in the supply of oxygen to the body;
• lack of nutrients entering the lungs and heart.

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

Cough with heart disease is usually manifested by 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 a heart cough and its symptoms from a pulmonary one based on the diagnosis and a series of examinations, only after the final diagnosis is confirmed, the correct and effective treatment will be prescribed. If a dry cough appears without sputum discharge, with seizures and with stabbing pain in the region of the heart, then the condition is dangerous and it is no longer possible to postpone a visit to the doctor.

Causes of heart cough

A similar condition occurs when fluid accumulates and stagnates in the small and large circles of blood circulation, begins to penetrate into the bronchi and alveoli.

The patient has all the symptoms of heart failure:

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

Cardiac cough is a complication of pulmonary edema or cardiac asthma due to irritation of receptors and fluid filling of the pulmonary bronchi. There is a dangerous condition, stagnation in the lungs, as a rule, against the background of certain cardiovascular diseases (congenital heart disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, pericarditis, impaired activity of the heart valve).

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

• decrease in contractions in the left ventricle of the heart;
• the impossibility of pumping blood into the aorta through the pulmonary veins;
• increased venous pressure in the lungs;
• slowing blood flow;
• insufficient supply of oxygen to the 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 hearty cough with stagnation and accumulation of blood in the lungs.

How pathology manifests itself

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 an increase in heart rate and pulsation when exercising, lifting weights. How to distinguish these two types?

Appears:

• soreness in the chest;
• dyspnea;
• feeling short of breath;

• hoarse and intermittent breathing, usually with attacks, aggravated by exertion, talking, lifting the patient up the stairs.

In case of insufficient blood flow to the heart area, pressure in the sternum rises, fainting is possible.

A feature of cardiac cough is dryness without sputum or with discharge of purulent mucus in the acute course of the disease.

Periodically, after expectoration, the patient becomes easier when the lungs are slightly cleared of accumulated blood, then the phenomenon repeats again, and may appear:

• asthma attacks;
• increased heart rate;
• increased cough in the supine position;
• flushes with excessive congestion of the left ventricle;
• increased sweating, feelings of weakness;
• dizziness;
• swelling and tightness of the ankle, especially after walking in the evening;
• shortness of breath after long conversations or minor physical activities;
• increased chest pressure, which can provoke fainting.

With heart disease, the symptoms are specific, and heart cough (unlike lung cough) proceeds somewhat differently.

Still, it is difficult to recognize the cause of the cough on your own. A full diagnostic is required. Only a cardiologist can recognize the disease, establish the severity on the basis of the data obtained, an ECG (electrocardiogram). Unpleasant signs in the form of a cough will pass 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

Heart cough is not a separate disease, but only an indicator: it requires a complete 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, shortness of breath should alert.

The main task in the treatment:

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

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

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

1. Restore the functionality of the heart muscle.
2. Eliminate unpleasant symptoms in the form of coughing or sputum discharge with blood.
3. Normalize blood circulation and eliminate congestion in the systemic and pulmonary circulation, provoking a pathological condition.

Medical treatment consists in prescribing:

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

It is important for patients to follow a diet, refuse to eat heavy food - fatty, fried, as well as alcohol and smoking. It is necessary to exclude all factors that can provoke the development of heart failure and cough, lead to circulatory disorders - a dangerous condition for humans.

Patients should dose physical activity in heart failure. You should not completely abandon activity and sports, but you do not need to overdo it, you should not allow excessive stress on the heart.

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

Cardiac cough, accompanied by pain in the region of the heart and with shortness of breath, requires a complete examination in the clinic, further appointment of a treatment course only under the strict supervision of a cardiologist. In addition, it is important to observe the regime of the day and sleep (at least 8 hours), the elimination of all provoking factors that can aggravate the situation and lead to new attacks of cardiac cough.

This is a sign of a serious disease - cardiac pathology, so a complete diagnosis is extremely important for a 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 recommendations for prevention

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

Cardiac cough, its symptoms and treatment is a “care” exclusively for a cardiologist.

Primary goal:

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

From folk remedies, you can only take decoctions and infusions with a strong cough, but only after consulting a doctor.

A hearty cough is usually obsessive, appears at night, sometimes begins slightly in the form of coughing and sore throat, as if a foreign body is present. But as heart failure progresses, the symptoms become more persistent. A heart cough for any heart disease is already a reason to urgently consult a doctor, undergo a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment in compliance with the daily routine, a combination of work and rest, as it is necessary to include vitamins, fruits, fresh herbs, dairy products, lean meat in the diet.

Exclusion from the diet of spicy, smoked, canned foods, giving up alcohol and smoking. You should avoid stress, reduce and dose the load on the heart.

Oxygen therapy is considered an additional and effective method of treatment:

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

Methods of treatment must be determined together with the doctor. Patients are under the close supervision of a cardiologist to monitor the constant state of health.

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