Symptom 4: Persistent Coughing: More Than Just a Nuisance
Coughing – it’s annoying, it’s irritating. But what if that cough isn’t just about a tickle in your throat? Persistent coughing, that kind that just won’t quit, could be more than just a nuisance. It could be the body’s SOS, a sign of an underlying issue – heart failure.
Unlike other symptoms, a persistent cough in heart failure comes with a caveat. It’s not the cough but what comes with it that’s crucial. When the cough produces white or pink mucus, it’s time to pay attention. But why pink or white mucus? Isn’t mucus supposed to be clear?
Here’s the thing – the color change is due to the presence of blood. Blood in mucus is never a good sign. In heart failure, it happens because of fluid buildup in the lungs. Remember the shortness of breath? This is part of that saga. Fluid in the lungs takes up space and compromises function, leading to that cough and the colored mucus.
At this point, you might be wondering – how do I differentiate this cough from others? It’s not easy. That’s the challenge with heart failure. Its symptoms are common, often misleading. Yet, it’s important to differentiate. It’s not about the cough, but its persistence, its quality, and the mucus it brings up.(4)
