Cardiac Asthma

The cause of cardiac asthma is very different from that of typical asthma. As the name suggests, it is associated with cardiac function and is caused as wheezing due to heart attack. The symptoms may go very severe and require emergency medical aid. As the heart fails to function, the fluid gets accumulated in the lungs and air passages. This condition is known as pulmonary edema. The patient feels extreme shortness of breath, wheezing and too much of coughing as he gasps for breath. The condition quite resembles with that of an asthmatic person. Since the treatment methods for curing the symptoms of heart attack and asthma are very different, it becomes very vital to determine the problem correctly or else the condition may get deteriorated.

To determine if it is a case of cardiac asthma, an expert doctor should immediately be approached who finds out the actual problem by observing breath pattern of the patient. Other symptoms include chest pain, high blood pressure, swollen ankles, extreme tiredness, increased heart beat and frequent urination. Another cause of cardiac asthma is found to be malfunctioning of a heart valve. The condition can threaten life if considered non-seriously.

Due to its life-threatening s symptoms, a cardiac asthma patient should look for quick medical attention. If the cause for cardiac asthma is related to heart valve, a surgery is performed to cure it. In case there is pulmonary edema, medications are prescribed to activate and help muscles of the heart to start pumping the blood adequately. If the response is not as expected, drugs containing corticosteroids are prescribed. Cardiac asthma is more likely to occur among old people as their heart gets weak to keep working efficiently all the time. People who feel they might develop the problem should go for regular checkups. The sooner is treatment started, the better it shows results. Delay of any kind can risk life of the patient.