coughing and arrythmias

Okay I just saw an answered question about why a palpitation causes you to cough. The answer was that fluid builds up in the lungs, and yes fluid would make you cough. But, the timing wouldn't be consistent with the palpition and the coughin necessarily. My question is as follows:    Why do I cough at the EXACT time I have the palpitation? I also know another person with the same problem, and actually that is how I linked the two together is another person pointing it out. I grabbed my chest as I was coughing and this person hit the nail on the head that I just had experienced a palpitation...and it WAS a MILD one. I get them about three to four times a week only...and I don't have fluid in my lungs! S/P CXR R/O

[SassyLassie]

I sometimes cough with my PAC's, I have read it is due to the "catch" that the heart gives when it is going into the irregular mode; it will automatically cause you to cough because it is a foreign feeling. That is what I read at least in one of my books about anxiety and ectopic beats. I have clear lungs too, so, I know it is not fluid in them.

[ireneo]

Fluid in the lungs would bother you much longer than during those few seconds of an ectopic beat. I've read that because the heart tends to pause to reset itself, the ventricles fill a bit more than usual. Then when it does beat again, you get a surge of pressure. I believe it's called the cannon A wave. For me, that feels like someone is pressing a finger at the base of my throat, kind of a gag feeling and I want to cough.

Also, coughing is one way to correct an arrhythmia.

[ireneo]

I looked up cannon A wave and specifically found this: "Cannon 'a' wave (atria contracting against closed tricuspid valve) ... ". Seems this will happen occasionally from a PVC or some kind of heart block. Imagine a tidal wave hitting against a closed door. That may be the pressure we feel.

[malaurie]

My husband has been mentioning this-he actually  puts his hand on his chest and coughs this little dry cough.  I have been worried about him because he does complain of heart palpitations fairly regularly.  He says the cough occurs because of the heart palpitation.  He says it happens for up to several hours, then goes away for up to several weeks.  Yesterday it happened all day long.  He is beginning a moderate exercise program-will that eventually help?  He is 38 and not of an age that I would usually think is associated with most heart problems.  He is not overweight and does not smoke or drink........Thanks, Laurie

[bobad]

malaurie,

Now is a great time for your husband to get a heart workup.

At his age, palpitations are usually benign, and most types are harmless in a physically healthy heart. However, palpitations are sometimes caused by a heart problem. They are caused by heart problems often enough to justify a workup.

We wish him the best of luck!