Cough

You may experience a persistent cough or wheezing (a whistling sound in the lungs or laboured breathing) due to your heart failure. The wheezing is similar to asthma but has a different cause in heart failure.

Sometimes people with heart failure cough up phlegm, a thick, mucous-like substance that may be tinged with blood. This often happens with a lung infection (pneumonia).

The coughing or wheezing is due to the fluid accumulation or congestion, in the lungs, which increases the effort of breathing.

If you notice a worsening in your cough or wheezing that affects your breathing, this may indicate that your heart failure is getting worse and you should contact your doctor or heart failure nurse.

A dry, persistent cough can also be a side effect of some medicines used in heart failure.