Could Your Persistent Cough Be a Sign of Heart Trouble?
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Most people would not think to link a stubborn cough with their heart. After all, we often blame it on seasonal flu, allergies, a lingering throat infection or worse, pnuemonia. But according to Dr. Ashish Kumar, Senior Consultant, Cardiology, Amrita Hospital Faridabad, a persistent cough can sometimes point to something far more serious.
How is a cough connected to the heart?
“In cases of heart failure, especially when it involves the left side of the heart, a chronic cough may be one of the signs,” explains Dr. Kumar. This can happen in conditions like heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (when the heart’s pumping ability is compromised), or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (when the heart muscles stiffen). Valve diseases, particularly those caused by rheumatic heart disease, can also contribute to this symptom.
Sometimes, the culprit could even be a blood pressure medicine like Ramipril, commonly prescribed to heart patients. “It’s a known side effect that can be reversed simply by switching the medication,” says Dr. Kumar.
Unusual signs that may point to a heart condition
Dr. Kumar warns that many signs we don’t typically associate with the heart could actually be its distress signals. These include:
Sudden loss of vision
Abdominal bloating or swelling
Discoloration or clubbing of fingers
Swelling in the genital area
Sudden loss of consciousness
He recalls cases where patients came in with seemingly unrelated issues like vision loss or a bloated belly, only to be diagnosed with clots in the heart or constrictive pericarditis, a condition where a membrane forms around the heart, increasing internal pressure and causing fluid buildup.
Another telltale symptom are bluish fingertips. This could be a sign of infective endocarditis, a heart valve infection that can send clots to different parts of the body, including the fingers.
The bottom line is if you have had a cough that just won’t go away and it’s not responding to the usual remedies, it might be time to look beyond the lungs. Your heart could be trying to get your attention.
