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A chronic cough is often associated with symptoms such as asthma, allergies and other respiratory infections. Chronic cough is defined as a cough lasting more than eight weeks in adults which can sometimes be a forewarning of a more serious underlying condition: heart failure! Yes, you read it right, hence understanding the relation between chronic cough and heart failure becomes crucial for early diagnosis and effective treatment. In this blog, we have aimed to simplify the correlation between the two and when you must consult a cardiologist in Delhi.
Synopsis
How are Heart Failure and Chronic Cough Related?
Heart failure is a condition which results from any functional or structural impairment of the ejection of blood. It is a condition in which the heart does not pump enough blood to fulfil the needs of the body.
Heart failure is of many types and among them, congestive heart failure (CHF) is related to cough. CHF may lead to pulmonary congestion, a condition in which decreased pumping ability of the heart leads to fluid buildup. This built-up fluid can leak into alveoli which are tiny branches of air tubes in the lungs activating the body’s natural response to airway blockage which is coughing.
Common Symptoms Associated with CHF
Common symptoms associated with CHF are shortness of breath, swelling in legs and ankles, coughing, and fatigue. Cough-related heart failure may lead to productive cough, a cough that produces frothy or blood-tinged sputum. The cough may also worsen at night or when lying flat due to increased fluid pressure in the lungs.
Consult our cardiologist in Delhi if you are experiencing a persistent cough
Treatment of Persistent Cough
For the effective treatment of persistent dry cough determining the cause is very important as it is often caused due to more than one underlying condition. Following are some chronic cough causes with their symptoms and treatment options:
1. Asthma: Asthma can lead to chronic cough due to hyperresponsiveness and inflammation of the airways. Airway hyperresponsiveness means overreacting of airways to various stimuli such as cold air, exercise or allergens which can lead to bronchoconstriction causing coughing as the body’s response. Airway inflammation can make the airway more sensitive and reactive leading to swelling and increased mucus production causing coughing as an attempt to open the airway by the body.
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Common symptoms are shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness.
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Treatment may include inhaled corticosteroids, bronchodilators and leukotriene inhibitors.
2. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): GERD can lead to chronic cough through several mechanisms such as upper airway irritation and oesophagal brainstem reflex. In the oesophagal brainstem reflex acid reflux in the oesophagus tricks the brain into thinking there is a need for cough which can cause coughing and in upper airway irritation acid reflux can lead to irritation of the larynx and throat causing chronic cough.
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Common symptoms are heartburn, chest pain and regurgitation.
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Treatment may include proton pump inhibitors, H2 receptor blockers, antacids, and lifestyle changes.
3. Infections: Ongoing effects of Infection on the respiratory system may lead to chronic cough. Post-infectious cough, airway inflammation, mucous hypersecretion, and secondary bacterial infection such as pneumonia lead to persistent cough.
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General symptoms of infections in CHF are difficulty in breathing, chills, fever, change in mental status and increased oedema.
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Treatment may include antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals.
4. Postnasal drip: In postnasal drip, the mucus drips down the back of the throat from the sinuses or nose which can cause irritation of the throat, stimulation of cough receptors, increased mucus production and secondary infections triggering a cough response.
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Common symptoms are the sensation of mucus dripping down the throat and frequent throat cleaning.
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Treatment may include antihistamines, decongestants, nasal corticosteroids and saline nasal spray.
5. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): COPD is a progressive lung condition that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs it can cause chronic cough through several mechanisms such as chronic inflammation, airway remodelling, excessive mucus production and bronchoconstriction.
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Common symptoms are dyspnea, chronic cough, wheezing, fatigue and chest tightness.
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Treatment may include inhaled bronchodilators, corticosteroids, smoking cessation and oxygen therapy.
6. Lifestyle factors: Chronic cough can be influenced by various lifestyle factors such as smoking, passive smoking, air pollution, occupational hazards, dietary factors, allergens, dry air, drug use and poor hydration.
Preventive lifestyle changes are quitting smoking, improving indoor air quality, reducing environmental exposure, healthy diet, stress management and proper hydration.
7. Medications: some medicines can cause chronic cough as a side effect due to their impact on the respiratory system or other systems that can influence the coughing mechanism. Identification of medication-induced chronic cough requires careful assessment by a doctor. Some common medications which have been known to cause cough are ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, chemotherapy drugs, statins and inhaled medications.
8. Heart failure related to chronic cough: there are several mechanisms which connect heart failure to chronic cough like pulmonary congestion, bronchial irritation and neurogenic mechanism.
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Common symptoms may include productive cough, fatigue and swelling in the legs. Diagnosing the cause when heart failure is suspected may include a chest x-ray, echocardiogram, ECG, blood test and pulmonary function test. Treatment and effective management may include medication, lifestyle changes, monitoring and follow-up with the doctor.
Consult our cardiology hospital in Delhi if you require chronic cough treatment.
Conclusion
A chronic cough should never be ignored, especially when accompanied by other symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue. Respiratory conditions may be common but sometimes can be a forewarning of more serious underlying conditions like heart failure. Understanding the link between chronic cough and heart failure and taking timely actions may lead to effective management of both conditions and may prove to be lifesaving.
Book a consultation with our experienced cardiologist in Delhi to discuss your individual problem. We also invite you to explore our blog page to read the latest healthcare blogs shared by our doctors.
FAQ's
Consult a doctor immediately if the cough has been persistent and accompanied by symptoms such as shortness of breath, swelling in legs and ankles, rapid or irregular heartbeat, pink frothy mucus, wheezing sound when breathing and fatigue.
Tests that are performed to diagnose heart failure cases by chronic cough are chest X-ray, echocardiogram, ECG, blood test and pulmonary function tests.
Key differences which help in differentiating between a cough caused by heart failure and one caused by respiratory conditions are cough characteristics, associated symptoms, triggers and medical history
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