Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesStages of Heart FailurePulmonary Heart DiseaseWhen to Seek Medical Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Stages of Heart Failure
Pulmonary Heart Disease
When to Seek Medical Care
A heart failure cough may indicate a potentially serious health concern. Sometimes, a heart failure cough (sometimes called a “cardiac cough” or “cardiac asthma”) may be a sign that your condition is worsening or your medications aren’t working as well as they should.
Verywell / Laura Porter
What Are the Symptoms of a Cardiac Cough?
The symptoms of a cardiac cough vary depending on the underly cause. Even so, there are characteristic signs and symptoms to watch out for.
These include:
You may experience other symptoms of heart failure as well, including chronic fatigue,rapid or irregular heartbeats, andswelling of the feet and ankles.
Causes of Cardiac Coughing
Congestive heart failure (CHF) occurs when the heart is less able to pump blood efficiently to meet the body’s needs. When this happens, blood and fluids start to back up and collect in the lungs and legs.
The buildup of fluids in the lungs can lead to a serious medical condition known aspulmonary edema. One of the early signs of pulmonary edema is a persistent cough.
In people with CHF, a cardiac cough may be a sign of different things, including:
A different sort of cough may be a side effect ofangiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitorscommonly prescribed to people with CHF. ACE inhibitors cause adry, hacking cough,unlike the wet,productive coughassociated with pulmonary edema.
Four stages (A-D) have been identified as heart failure progresses:
Stage A: There are no symptoms or identified problems with the heart, but there are risk factors for heart failure (e.g., genetics, high blood pressure, obesity).
Stage B: Also known as pre–heart failure, in which there are heart abnormalities (e.g., valve problems, heart wall thickening) that are not yet significant enough to cause symptoms.
Stage C: Also known as symptomatic heart failure, in which heart impairment causes symptoms, which include fatigue, shortness of breath, and cough.
Stage D: Also known asadvanced heart failureor end-stage heart failure, is the most severe form, with significant symptoms that affect other organs as it progresses. Symptoms include:
Heart Failure and Lung Disease
Pulmonary heart disease happens when the chamber of the heart that pumps blood to the lungs (called theright ventricle) has to work too hard and incurs damage over time. When the right ventricle fails (known as right-sided heart failure), it is calledcor pulmonale.
Possible causes of cor pulmonale include:
Heart Failure Healthcare Provider Discussion GuideGet our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.Download PDFEmail AddressSign UpThank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.There was an error. Please try again.
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When to See a Healthcare Provider
If you have CHF, it is important to call your healthcare provider if:
Be advised that over-the-counterdecongestantscontaining pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine can raise your blood pressure and worsen the symptoms of heart failure. If you have CHF, these should only be used under the direction of a healthcare provider.
When to Call 911If you have CHF, call 911 or seek emergency medical assistance if:You cannot breathe when lying down.You feel as if you are suffocating.You have chest pain, rapid heartbeat, or shortness of breath that does not go away with rest.You have fainted or lost consciousness.
When to Call 911
If you have CHF, call 911 or seek emergency medical assistance if:You cannot breathe when lying down.You feel as if you are suffocating.You have chest pain, rapid heartbeat, or shortness of breath that does not go away with rest.You have fainted or lost consciousness.
If you have CHF, call 911 or seek emergency medical assistance if:
Summary
A cardiac cough can develop if you have heart failure as fluids build up in the lungs. This may be due to worsening heart failure or because your drugs are not working as well as they should. It could also be that you’re not taking your medications as prescribed or that you’re experiencing side effects from ACE inhibitors.
Call your healthcare provider if you have heart failure and develop a persistent cough for no apparent reason. This is true if a chronic cough is your only symptom or if it occurs with other signs and symptoms of heart failure.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.Warning signs of heart failure.Abassi Z, Khoury EE, KarramT, Aronson D.Edema formation in congestive heart failure and the underlying mechanisms.Front Cardiovasc Med.2022;9:933215. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2022.933215Yılmaz İ.Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors induce cough.Turk Thorac J. 2019;20(1):36-42. doi:10.5152/TurkThoracJ.2018.18014American Heart Association.Classes and Stages of Heart Failure.Mass General Brigham.End-Stage Heart Failure.Carter P, Lagan J, Fortune C, et al.Association of cardiovascular disease with respiratory disease.J Am Coll Cardiol.2019;73(17):2166-77. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.11.063National Institutes of Health.Cor pulmonale.American Heart Association.Managing heart failure symptoms.American Heart Association.Taking medicine for a cold? Be mindful of your heart.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.Warning signs of heart failure.Abassi Z, Khoury EE, KarramT, Aronson D.Edema formation in congestive heart failure and the underlying mechanisms.Front Cardiovasc Med.2022;9:933215. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2022.933215Yılmaz İ.Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors induce cough.Turk Thorac J. 2019;20(1):36-42. doi:10.5152/TurkThoracJ.2018.18014American Heart Association.Classes and Stages of Heart Failure.Mass General Brigham.End-Stage Heart Failure.Carter P, Lagan J, Fortune C, et al.Association of cardiovascular disease with respiratory disease.J Am Coll Cardiol.2019;73(17):2166-77. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.11.063National Institutes of Health.Cor pulmonale.American Heart Association.Managing heart failure symptoms.American Heart Association.Taking medicine for a cold? Be mindful of your heart.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Heart Association.Warning signs of heart failure.Abassi Z, Khoury EE, KarramT, Aronson D.Edema formation in congestive heart failure and the underlying mechanisms.Front Cardiovasc Med.2022;9:933215. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2022.933215Yılmaz İ.Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors induce cough.Turk Thorac J. 2019;20(1):36-42. doi:10.5152/TurkThoracJ.2018.18014American Heart Association.Classes and Stages of Heart Failure.Mass General Brigham.End-Stage Heart Failure.Carter P, Lagan J, Fortune C, et al.Association of cardiovascular disease with respiratory disease.J Am Coll Cardiol.2019;73(17):2166-77. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.11.063National Institutes of Health.Cor pulmonale.American Heart Association.Managing heart failure symptoms.American Heart Association.Taking medicine for a cold? Be mindful of your heart.
American Heart Association.Warning signs of heart failure.
Abassi Z, Khoury EE, KarramT, Aronson D.Edema formation in congestive heart failure and the underlying mechanisms.Front Cardiovasc Med.2022;9:933215. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2022.933215
Yılmaz İ.Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors induce cough.Turk Thorac J. 2019;20(1):36-42. doi:10.5152/TurkThoracJ.2018.18014
American Heart Association.Classes and Stages of Heart Failure.
Mass General Brigham.End-Stage Heart Failure.
Carter P, Lagan J, Fortune C, et al.Association of cardiovascular disease with respiratory disease.J Am Coll Cardiol.2019;73(17):2166-77. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.11.063
National Institutes of Health.Cor pulmonale.
American Heart Association.Managing heart failure symptoms.
American Heart Association.Taking medicine for a cold? Be mindful of your heart.
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