While chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a condition that affects your lungs, heart failure causes harm to your blood-pumping organ. Although these health problems affect different organs, both might make you go out of breath when doing physical activities like climbing stairs, running, walking for a long distance, or exercising. Those interested in knowing more about the link between Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure should read this article. Here you go!
What causes breathlessness in COPD and heart failure?
The causes for breathlessness in heart failure and COPD are different.
People with COPD find it hard to inhale and exhale air because of damage caused to the lungs from years of smoking. But, the inhaling and exhaling processes go well if you are resting. But, when you are active or doing something that involves labour, you go out of breath.
In the case of heart failure, things work differently. If you have heart failure, your heart fails to pump blood efficiently. When you are at rest, your breathing is normal, but when you are active, the blood flow needs to increase because your heart has to work harder and faster. In these circumstances, if your heart fails to put up, the blood backs up to the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath.
COPD and left-sided heart failure
Experts explain that left-sided heart failure is caused by high blood pressure or coronary artery disease. The condition is not directly related to COPD, but these problems may affect each other. It is so because, as a result of the lower amount of oxygen in the blood, extra strain is put on the heart. It worsens the situation of the left side of your heart. And excess fluid in the lungs because of heart failure makes inhaling even harder.
COPD and right-sided heart failure
If you have COPD and your condition is severe, it may cause heart failure in the lower right chamber of the organ. Experts call it right-sided heart failure or cor pulmonale. The condition causes the build-up of fluids in your body, especially in your legs and belly.
How can you treat breathlessness?
If, even after conducting all the tests, your doctor fails to tell what is responsible for your breathlessness, he will treat both these conditions. Treating COPD will mean focusing on your lungs, airways, and the branching network of the tubes. For this purpose, the doctor will recommend using bronchodilators to help open the airway. On the other hand, heart failure treatments are focused on reducing the workload on your heart and reducing the unhealthy growth of muscle.
In case your breathlessness is getting severe, other treatments you may be suggested are:
Corticosteroids as they help improve breathing in people with COPD.
You may be recommended antibiotics if antibiotics are causing any issues,
The doctor may ask you to take supplemental oxygen.
IV medicines help in easing the strain on the heart.
NIV ventilation, a form of non-assisted breathing, helps with the condition.
So, these are a few ways in which COPD and heart failure contribute to shortness of breath. Patients are recommended to use the tips mentioned above to get better.