If you're suffering from a chronic cough, tell your doctor. A chronic cough – defined as lasting at least three months during the past year – is a possible symptom of lung and heart problems. A chronic cough and sputum production could indicate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). If your cough is dry (does not produce sputum), you're at increased risk of having a heart attack.
Productive Cough = Lung Problems
If you produce sputum when you cough, you might have COPD. Another symptom is shortness of breath. COPD is a slowly progressive disease of the airway, characterized by a gradual loss of lung function. Diseases that fall under the COPD umbrella include: chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive bronchitis, emphysema, or a combination of these.
There is currently no cure for COPD. You can lessen your risk or slow its progression by avoiding:
- Tobacco smoke (from smoking or being around secondhand smoke)
- Occupational chemicals and dusts
- Air pollution
- Smoke from fire
Dry Cough = Heart Problems
A non-productive chronic cough (a dry cough – one that does not produce sputum) could indicate that you're on the path to a heart attack. That's the conclusion of Harvard Medical School researchers based on data from the Framingham Heart Study, the renowned on-going study of citizens in Framingham, Massachusets.
In the study, people who reported a chronic dry cough were 80-percent more at risk of suffering a heart attack, compared to subjects who did not suffer from a chronic cough. Those who reported a productive cough were at 60-percent higher risk of suffering a heart attack, even after adjusting for lung function and smoking.
The researchers concluded that a dry chronic cough indicates a lung infection or chronic inflammation, which may contribute to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Tell Your Doctor
If you have suffered from a chronic cough in the last year, be sure to mention your symptoms the next time you visit your doctor. |
