Cardiac asthma: symptoms and treatment

Cardiac asthma is a dangerous condition that requires immediate intervention, which can occur against the background of many diseases of the cardiovascular system. One should be aware of the symptoms and treatment of cardiac asthma, since without timely assistance it is extremely dangerous for human life and health.

Cardiac asthma - what is it?

Cardiac asthma is a condition characterized by an acute deficiency of the left heart, which causes attacks of suffocation, shortness of breath and other symptoms, without timely intervention, which can lead to serious consequences and even death. Cardiac asthma is not an independent disease, this condition occurs against the background of other pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

In this state, urgent help is required from specialists, usually called "first aid".The attack needs to be stopped as soon as possible, as the entire body suffers, the load on the respiratory system increases. With cardiac asthma, pulmonary edema can occur, which can quickly lead to death.

Causes of

Because cardiac asthma is a consequence of other diseases, many factors can provoke the onset of an attack. Most of them are associated with other diseases of the heart and blood vessels, some associated with other organs and systems of the body. The following factors leading to an attack of acute left heart failure are most common:

1. Ischemic disease and its possible manifestations, which include angina and acute myocardial infarction.
2. Atrial fibrillation, arterial hypertension, other diseases in which high pressure jumps can occur.
3. Heart defects, they affect blood flow in patients. The same effect is exerted by various tumors of the heart muscle.
4. In addition to heart disease, triggering an attack of cardiac asthma is capable of pneumonia, acute glomerulonephritis. However, it is worth noting that most often this condition is caused by cardiac pathologies.

In completely healthy people this condition usually does not arise. However, in elderly people, with a very weak cardiovascular system initially, triggering an attack of cardiac asthma can exert excessive physical activity, with a large fluid retention in the body.

In pregnancy, the likelihood of an attack of cardiac asthma is also increased due to hypervolemia, so pregnant women should be observed with a doctor and follow all recommendations. The burden on the pregnant woman's body increases, do not ignore it.

In general, with an attack, the left parts of the heart stop coping with the required load, the lungs are filled with too much blood, the pressure inside the vessels increases. Because of this, plasma seeps through the walls, it enters the tissues of the lung and causes a severe swelling, because of which the patient begins to suffocate, the functioning of the respiratory system is disrupted.

The difference between bronchial asthma and cardiac

Symptoms of heart and bronchial asthma are quite similar, but the mechanism of their development, causes and selection of treatment differ. Sometimes, when an attack occurs, it is unclear whether cardiac or bronchial asthma provoked it. It is worth knowing about the main differences between the two states.

The first thing to know is that cardiac asthma is just a consequence of heart disease, one of the symptoms of a disease. Bronchial asthma is an independent pathology. The bronchial form usually has pronounced reasons: allergic reactions, contact with poisonous substances, which can provoke pulmonary edema.

The difference is also present in the fact that dyspnea with bronchial form occurs due to a spasm of the lungs. With a heart form, it appears because of insufficient function of the heart.

Important! Regardless of the cause of pulmonary edema and the onset of an attack, one should not engage in self-medication, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

To accurately determine the cause of this disease, differential diagnosis is used. It is extremely important to know what happened before the attack, to make an electrocardiogram, to collect the basic analyzes. Also very often the history of human disease is important.

Symptoms of

Most often, the attack starts at night, often the patient wakes up due to the fact that it starts to choke. There is a feeling of fear, panic, the patient breathes deeply and coughs, tries to sit down. The skin is usually white, the sweat on the forehead, the person sweats heavily. When listening to the lungs there is no noise. Also with cardiac asthma may appear:

1. Before the attack, there may be shortness of breath, pain in the heart. Sometimes these symptoms occur several days before the onset of cardiac asthma.
2. Dyspnea is worse when lying down, so the patient always tries to sit down or even stand up. At the same time there is a dry painful cough, sputum appears later, usually it is transparent.
3. The blue skin of the nasolabial triangle and the fingertip are blue. With a severe long-lasting seizure, the shade may gradually become gray.

If such symptoms appear, a person needs urgent help. It is advised to immediately call for an ambulance, because it is not always possible without doctors to determine the nature of the attack.

Cardiac asthma and pulmonary edema

Pulmonary edema is a dangerous complication arising from this disease. It can develop very quickly, some of its forms can almost immediately lead to death.

With the rapid development of dangerous alveolar edema, orthopnea is intensified, a lot of sputum is excreted with cough, it foams, blood can be found in it. To prevent such a condition, first aid should be provided as soon as possible.

With a timely treatment, the prognosis is favorable, if the attack turns out quickly and without any problems to stop. It is extremely important to start a suitable treatment for cardiovascular diseases, which led to a syndrome of cardiac asthma.

First aid

If an attack of cardiac asthma occurs, it is important to provide an ambulance to a person as soon as possible. It is better to immediately call the doctors, but before they arrive, too, you need to take a number of measures. At home, you first need to do the following:

1. The patient needs to be put reclining on the bed, legs need to be hung down. In the room you must open the window, it is better to immediately move the person closer to him.
2. Any garments that can squeeze and interfere with circulation should be removed. This includes straps, bras, and so on.
3. Blood pressure should be measured. If it is increased, a person should be given nitroglycerin, this should be done with great care, if this condition has arisen for the first time. If the pressure is lowered, nothing but validol can not be given.
4. Since this disease causes pulmonary edema, it is advised to moisten a cotton disc or a small piece of tissue with alcohol and allow the patient to breathe. Alcohol can be replaced with vodka, but then the effect will be much weaker, as vodka has a lower degree.

You should not give any more medications, you need to wait for the ambulance to arrive. It happens that the attack ends earlier than the doctors arrive, in this case it is still impossible to ignore the condition. It is necessary as soon as possible to turn to a specialist and get treatment.

Treatment in the hospital

Treatment for cardiac asthma can only take place in a hospital, self-medication for this disease is deadly. Upon entering the hospital, the patient undergoes full diagnostics, then appropriate medication is prescribed, which usually includes:

1. Different types of analgesics. They are usually used as injections. Even extremely severe prescription medications based on atropine and morphine can be used.
2. Various diuretics are prescribed for the removal of edema. Furosemide and its analogues are most often found.
3. Tachycardia uses cardiac glycoside preparations, Suprastin in the form of tablets, Pipolphen.

Other means may be used depending on the nature of the course of the disease. Treatment should take place under the strict supervision of specialists, especially the first time. Also, it should be aimed at arresting the pathology, which led to an attack of cardiac asthma.

Treatment with inhalers on the basis of oxygen, passed through ethyl alcohol. Inhalations are carried out in a hospital using special masks. This remedy helps fight the effects of pulmonary edema.

Folk properties in this state of use is undesirable, you can easily hurt. Even after discharge from the hospital, sedatives based on medicinal herbs can be used: mint, chamomile, sage, valerian. On the basis of herbs, teas are made, broths and infusions are prepared. At the same time from the diet after stopping the attack, it is required to completely remove salt, advise to observe a light diet.

After the main treatment, it is possible to use non-traditional Ogulov's treatment methods with caution, among them breathing exercises and various exercises are taken separately. They are used to restore normal circulation and breathing during rehabilitation. Other methods can be offered by the attending physician.

With timely relief of an attack of cardiac asthma and a suitable treatment in the future, the consequences of this condition can be completely eliminated. The main thing is not to engage in self-medication, in this case it can be extremely dangerous.