EARLY WARNING OF HEART FAILURE
April 2nd, 2009 | Posted by admin | Category: General healthNo Comments
Depending on the type of heart trouble, some of the earliest signs of failure in need of treatment include swelling of the ankles (medically known as edema) and shortness of breath during mild exercise, such as climbing stairs. This latter sign is evidence that the heart is not pumping well enough to empty blood out of the lungs, causing the condition medically known as pulmonary congestion.
However, according to Primary Cardiology Clinics (2#1:19), a certain type of coughing is yet another sign that, if heeded, gives even earlier warning. Also due to pulmonary congestion, this sign is almost like a smoker’s “hacking” cough. Its really distinctive feature is that it comes on when one is in bed or sitting down but stops almost instantly when one stands up.
In heart failure patients, this sign may precede breathless-ness by hours or days but should always be reported to a physician right away. When pulmonary congestion is more severe, of course, the cough is not relieved by standing and may be replaced by breathlessness which is not relieved by rest. Even though this early sign is not new, we feel that knowing about it is important and could save many lives.
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