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Query: UMLS:C0010200 (cough)
 23,843 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cardiac asthma has been used as a synonym for episodes of cough, dyspnea, and wheezing caused by left ventricular dysfunction. The similarity of the terms bronchial asthma and cardiac asthma, and the observed symptoms of each disease implies a common pathophysiology. Bronchial asthma is characterized pathologically by airway narrowing, inflammation, edema, and obstruction by mucus. Bronchial asthma is defined as increased responsiveness of the tracheobronchial tree, which is manifested clinically as reversible expiratory airflow obstruction. The classic symptoms of bronchial asthma are cough, dyspnea, and wheezing. Cardiac asthma produces the same symptoms, but the pathophysiology producing these symptoms is not well described. We describe two patients with cardiac asthma who failed to demonstrate airway hyperresponsiveness to nonspecific bronchoprovocation testing and we postulate that these patients' symptoms were produced exclusively by left ventricular failure.
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PMID:Normal airway responsiveness to methacholine in cardiac asthma. 269 Jul 10

To determine whether a relationship exists between bronchial hyperreactivity and cardiac asthma, which is commonly observed in patients with left heart failure, a methacholine inhalation test was performed in 15 patients with stable left ventricular failure (LVF) and 10 normal subjects. The subjects were divided into 3 groups based on symptoms of nocturnal coughing and/or wheezing in acute exacerbation of LVF. Group A consisted of 8 patients with nocturnal coughing and/or wheezing. Group B consisted of 7 patients without such symptoms, and Group C consisted of the 10 age-matched normal controls. Eleven of the 15 patients with LVF showed a significant increase in respiratory resistance in the methacholine inhalation test, as opposed to none of the normal subjects. The median cumulative dose which produced a 35% decrease in respiratory conductance (PD35Grs) was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B (1.45 log units and 1.90 log units, respectively, p < 0.05). The results of pulmonary function tests were not significantly different between Groups A and B. The minimum cumulative dose required to initiate a decrease in respiratory conductance from the baseline, as an index of bronchial sensitivity to methacholine, was significantly correlated with DLCO/VA (r = 0.710, p < 0.01). We conclude that bronchial hyperreactivity is responsible for cardiac asthma and that it might be related to pulmonary interstitial changes in stable patients with non-valvular LVF.
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PMID:Relationship between bronchial hyperreactivity and symptoms of cardiac asthma in patients with non-valvular left ventricular failure. 899 83

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and postnasal drip syndrome (PNDS) are common causes of chronic cough. In patients with normal chest radiographs, GERD most likely causes cough by an esophageal-bronchial reflex. When GERD causes cough, there may be no gastrointestinal symptoms up to 75% of the time. While 24-h esophageal pH monitoring is the most sensitive and specific test in linking GERD and cough in a cause and effect relationship, it has its limitations. There is no general agreement on how to best interpret the test and it cannot detect non-acid reflux events. While some patients improve with minimal medical therapy, others require intensive regimens. Surgery may be efficacious when intensive medical therapy has failed. Because there are no pathognomonic findings of PNDS, the diagnosis is inferential and is based upon a combination of clinical findings, the results of ancillary testing, and the response to specific therapy. Specific therapy depends upon the rhinosinus disease(s) causing the PND. A common error in managing PNDSs is to assume that all H(1)-antagonists are equally efficacious. The second-generation, relatively non-sedating H(1)-antagonists have been found to be less effective than the first-generation agents in treating cough due to non-histamine-mediated PNDSs.
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PMID:Diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough due to gastro-esophageal reflux disease and postnasal drip syndrome. 1209 81

Cardiac asthma has been defined as wheezing, coughing and orthopnea due to congestive heart failure. The clinical distinction between bronchial asthma and cardiac asthma can be straight forward, except in patients with chronic lung disease coexisting with left heart disease. Pulmonary edema and pulmonary vascular congestion have been thought to be the primary causes of cardiac asthma but most patients have a poor response to diuretics. There appears to be limited effectiveness of classical asthma medications like bronchodilators or corticosteroids in treating cardiac asthma. Evidence suggests that circulating inflammatory factors and tissue growth factors also lead to airway obstruction suggesting the possibility of developing novel therapies.
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PMID:Cardiac asthma: new insights into an old disease. 2323 54

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are two of the most common chronic lung diseases worldwide. Distinguishing between these different pulmonary diseases can be difficult in practice because of symptomatic similarities. A definitive diagnosis is essential for correct treatment. This review article presents the different symptoms of these two chronic inflammatory lung diseases following a selective search of the PubMed database for relevant literature published between 1996 and 2012. While cough occurs in both diseases, asthmatics often have a dry cough mainly at night, which is often associated with allergies. In contrast, COPD is usually caused by years of smoking. Paroxysmal dyspnea, which occurs in asthma, is characterized by shortness of breath, while in COPD it occurs during physical exertion in early stages and at rest in later stages of the disease. Asthma often begins in childhood or adolescence, whereas COPD occurs mainly in smokers in later life. It is possible to live with asthma into old age, whereas the life expectancy of patients with COPD is significantly limited. Currently, there is no general curative treatment for either disorder.
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PMID:Asthma and COPD: Similarities and Differences in the Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Therapy. 2682 Jul 33