Asthma, Cardiac


Asthma, Cardiac

 

sharp attacks of shortness of breath (dyspnea) caused by acute weakness of the left ventricle.

Cardiac asthma may develop in association with hypertonic disease, myocardial infarction, heart defects, chronic nephritis, and so forth. Attacks of cardiac asthma last from several minutes to several hours. Cardiac asthma patients sometimes develop pulmonary edema.

Cardiac asthma is treated with heart- and vessel-dilating drugs, narcotics, oxygen, diuretics, and hypotensive drugs (in cases of high blood pressure). Prophylaxis is the treatment of the disease causing cardiac asthma.