Cardiac asthma

Cardiac asthma ( Latinized from Greek ἆσθμα, " panting " - for a more precise word origin compare bronchial asthma - and καρδιά Greek, kardia "heart" ) is called the considerable and often frightening shortness of breath as a result of congestion in the pulmonary circulation in left ventricular failure.

The cardiac asthma is in contrast to asthma is not considered a separate disease, but as a symptom of left heart failure.

The attacks usually occur at night when lying down, since there is here an increase in blood volume in the pulmonary circulation - in an upright position by gravity remains relatively more blood to the lower body. Patients with cardiac asthma usually attach themselves to sleep on several pillows to reduce the hydrostatic pressure with increased upper body.

Cardiac asthma is manifested in shortness of breath (dyspnea ), which is possibly improved by putting on and at worse flat storage ( orthopnea ). Secondarily it can also come to the bronchial obstruction, which is similar bronchial asthma makes you feel like mostly by wheezing noticeable.

In the most severe form of asthma development may proceed in cardiac acute pulmonary edema. By further increasing the capillary Pulmonaldrucks occurs serous tissue fluid from ( transudation ), which is coughed up as colored slightly bloody, frothy fluid in the alveoli. The pulmonary edema is associated with shortness of breath and choking strongest.

As a differential diagnosis are, for example nocturnal seizures in patients with bronchial asthma, pneumonia or an exacerbation of COPD into consideration.

In dogs, the respiratory distress manifests in the form of an occurring especially at night and in the morning cough symptoms, referred to herein as the "heart cough ".

• Disease in cardiology