A cardiac cough is a cough that develops as a result of heart issues, not lung conditions. It is often difficult to associate the cough with heart problems as it comes with no clear warning sign. A congestive heart failure cough may occur due to fluid buildup in the lungs or as a side effect of medication. A long-term cough usually indicates that the heart condition may be getting worse, the treatment isnt effective as it needs to be, or side effects from heart failure medication, or undiagnosed heart failure. A cardiac cough is usually the result of our body trying to expel foreign bacteria out of the body.

Symptoms of a cardiac cough vary from an acute cough to chest discomfort. Depending on the duration and severity of the cardiac cough, you may experience possible symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma or bronchitis, and your cough doesn’t improve with treatment, you should be evaluated for heart failure. Once heart failure has been diagnosed and appropriate treatment started, the cough should improve or go away. If it returns, your medications may need adjusting or your angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor changed to an angiotensin receptor blocker.

If you are experiencing cardiac coughing, you should note the symptoms and review them with your healthcare provider. However, if you find you’re consistently experiencing unmanageable episodes of cardiac coughing, you should seek medical attention.