The causes of chronic cough are very varied and are related to different systems.

In this article we explain what are the heart disease.

Because the heart diseases trigger cough?

There are several cardiovascular diseases such as left ventricular failure (LVF), pulmonary infarction, and aortic aneurysm that can cause chronic cough.

La left ventricular failure It is a condition in which the left ventricle cannot pump blood effectively. It causes chronic cough because:

• When the left ventricle cannot pump blood efficiently, it accumulates in the pulmonary blood vessels. This increases the pressure in the pulmonary capillaries, causing fluid to leak into the alveoli (spaces where gas exchange occurs in the lungs).
• The accumulation of fluids in the alveoli interferes with gas exchange during breathing and causes irritation of the airways, which stimulates coughing.
• This accumulation of fluid and pressure activates receptors that trigger the cough reflex as a defense mechanism.
• It is a cough that gets worse when lying down.

At the pulmonary infarction The lung tissue does not receive enough blood flow and oxygen and therefore dies due to the obstruction of a pulmonary blood vessel by a clot (thrombus).

A heart attack causes coughing for several reasons:

• When a pulmonary artery becomes blocked, a portion of the lung does not receive enough oxygen, causing local inflammation that activates cough receptors.
• If the infarction affects areas near the pleura (the membrane that covers and protects the lungs), it can cause pain and irritation that triggers a reflex cough.
• Tissue death triggers an inflammatory response that can increase mucus production, stimulating coughing as a defense mechanism.

Un aneurysm It is a dilation of an artery due to a weakness in its wall. This is the case with an aortic aneurysm, where damage occurs in the aorta in the chest area. The cough occurs because:

• When the aneurysm grows, it exerts pressure on nearby structures such as the trachea and bronchi, causing irritation that triggers the cough reflex.
• The recurrent laryngeal nerve controls the vocal cords and passes near the aortic arch. An aneurysm can compress it, irritating it and triggering coughing.
• The expansion of the aneurysm can generate an inflammatory response in the surrounding tissues, activating the cough reflex.
• Compression can also affect the esophagus or airways, which can cause coughing.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the possible causes of cough. If it persists for more than 8 weeks, we are considering a case of chronic cough.

Author: Eva Maroto

References:

1. Pacheco, Adalberto ; de Diego, Alfredo ; Domingo, Christian et al. / Chronic Cough. In: Archivos de Bronconeumologia. 2015 ; Vol. 51, No. 11. pp. 579–668.
2. https://www.medicoverhospitals.in/es/diseases/left-ventricular-failure/
3. https://www.msdmanuals.com/es/hogar/trastornos-del-pulm%C3%B3n-y-las-v%C3%ADas-respiratorias/embolia-pulmonar/embolia-pulmonar-ep#S%C3%ADntomas_v725557_es
4. https://www.msdmanuals.com/es/hogar/breve-informaci%C3%B3n-trastornos-cardiovasculares/aneurismas-y-disecci%C3%B3n-a%C3%B3rtica/aneurismas-a%C3%B3rticos-tor%C3%A1cicos?query=aneurisma%20aortic#%C2%BFQu%C3%A9-es-un-aneurisma-a%C3%B3rtico-tor%C3%A1cico?_v35607892_es