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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
What is 'cardiac asthma'?
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What is 'cardiac asthma'?
by Susan, Nov 21, 1999 12:00AM
What is this condition and what are the symptoms? How does one get it? I have always had nasal allergies, and got an asthma attack only once when on a hayride as a fairly young child. Also had severe reaction (anaphylactic) to wasp sting as a young adult. I had my aortic valve replaced about 8 months ago. In general, my recovery has been very good and swift. However, one holdover is that I still don't feel like I am breathing as normally as I should. Especially after eating or when clothing may be somewhat more closer fitting than baggy. Even so, I can still get the incentive spirometer all the way to the top and exercise by walking daily. I do get fatigued easily still also, but considering my work schedule anyone would! The only thing different since the surgery is taking coumadin as I have a St. Judes valve. Any thoughts? Neither GP or cardio have seemed too concerned about it. It's not bad, but annoying--like I need to yawn sometimes to take a deep breath and I seem to want to breath more deeply in general, but the breath is usually always there. Have a cardio check up looming--any thoughts on how I should approach my questions? Or am I just too aware of breathing? Thanks!
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB, Nov 22, 1999 12:00AM
I think the check-up is a good idea, but it sounds like you are actually doing OK. Cardiac asthma refers to difficulty breathing, and possibly cough and wheezing, that is not due to lung disease, but rather, due to cardiac disease that causes back-up of fluid in the lung. You do not sound like you had or have cardiac asthma.
