Congestive Heart Failure: Coughing Up This Colored Phlegm Could Be A Warning Sign

Heart failure, a.k.a. congestive heart failure, happens when a person’s heart muscles fail to pump as much blood as it should. Certain health conditions including coronary artery diseases or hypertension gradually weaken your heart or make it inefficient. Identifying early signs and symptoms are important to avoid serious consequences.

Individuals suffering from heart failure might experience coughing or wheezing that produces white or pink-colored blood-tinged mucus. This happens as a result of fluid accumulation in the lungs. In some cases, frothy sputum is also noticed among heart failure patients.

Other early signs and symptoms of heart failure include fatigue, weakness, reduced ability to exercise, swollen limbs, rapid or irregular heartbeat, persistent cough, shortness of breath, very rapid weight gain due to fluid retention, decreased alertness, difficulty concentrating and chest pain.

The Mayo Clinic urged those individuals experiencing chest pain, fainting, severe weakness, sudden severe shortness of breath and coughing up pink foamy mucus to rush to the emergency department or call 911 to seek immediate help. ER doctors will determine if your symptoms are due to heart failure or anything else and will try to stabilize it.

Although heart failure cannot be completely reversed, treatment options can improve the signs and symptoms of heart failure and improve your life expectancy. Lifestyle modifications including stress management, reducing sodium in the diet and regular physical activity can help improve your quality of life. Preventing and controlling health conditions like obesity, diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart diseases can help prevent heart failure.

To diagnose congestive heart failure doctors will order tests including chest x-ray, blood tests for a specific chemical called N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, ECG, Echocardiogram, CT scan, MRI scan, stress test, coronary angiogram, and myocardial biopsy.

For individuals diagnosed with heart failure, monitoring their symptoms on a regular basis to check for changes in fluid accumulation can help manage the condition from getting worse. Quitting alcohol, cigarettes, and tobacco alongside controlling your blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels under control can help prevent further damage.