Signs of trouble

The close connection between the heart and lungs means that the diseases affecting either heart or lungs can produce closely mimicking symptoms, writes Dr Ravindranath Reddy

The heart and lungs work together to make sure the body gets the oxygen-rich blood it needs to function properly and excrete carbon dioxide which is a metabolic waste product. Any disruption in their functioning can be life-threatening. The close connection between the heart and lungs means that the diseases affecting either heart or lungs can produce closely mimicking symptoms.

Have you been feeling very tired lately? Do you feel breathless when you go down the stairs to run some errands? If yes, the one thing that might come to your mind is that you have some respiratory problems. But have you ever thought that these could be the symptoms of any cardiovascular disease?

Chronic respiratory and heart diseases are two completely different conditions, however, both can make you short of breath when you do engage in a physical activity, like climbing stairs, or walking for a long distance. Both conditions can make you feel fatigued, dizzy and produce cough.

There are many other symptoms that they have in common. If you have chronic lung disease, you most likely breathe comfortably when you’re at rest. However, when you’re active, your breath starts coming in before your last breath goes out. That causes shortness of breath.

On the other hand, if you have a heart failure, your heart doesn’t pump blood efficiently. With constant body movement, blood flow must increase, and your heart must pump harder and faster. However, if your heart can’t keep up, blood backs up into your lungs. This fluid congestion causes shortness of breath, fatigue and produces cough. If you are facing these symptoms, it is important that you visit your doctor and get yourself tested to get to the core of your problem. Even acute diseases involving lungs and heart produce similar symptoms that are difficult to differentiate and attribute to a specific organ. Symptoms that are common for both the conditions include:

Shortness of breath

Cough

Chest pain

Fatigue

It becomes even more important to get yourself checked if you show any of these symptoms that emerged recently with the Covid-19 pandemic in its full rage. The symptoms that are common in heart and respiratory diseases are also found in Covid-19. Therefore, there could be a possibility that you are infected by the coronavirus, hence getting yourself tested becomes extremely essential. By neglecting them you’ll not only pose a threat to yourself but your family as well.

If you already suffer from any cardiovascular or respiratory disease, you ought to protect yourself from being infected by the novel coronavirus. And if you show any of the symptoms mentioned above, you must quarantine yourself in your house and inform the healthcare officials immediately.

(The author is a cardiologist)