Not actually asthma, cardiac asthma is a condition where the heart is too weak to properly pump blood, resulting in fluid buildup in the lungs. Cardiac asthma is one of the signs of heart failure.

Cardiac asthma symptoms include:

• Wheezing
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling (edema) of the legs
• Swollen neck veins
• Abdominal discomfort such as swelling, pain or nausea
• Mental confusion
• Galloping heartbeat (palpitations)
• Kidney malfunction or failure (in the later stages of heart failure)

A chest x-ray may reveal this disorder’s trademark features, such as an enlarged heart or fluid in the lungs. An electrocardiogram (a record of the electrical activity of the heart) and an analysis of breath sounds also can help reveal cardiac asthma.

The symptoms of cardiac asthma will disappear once the patient’s heart failure has been successfully treated with diuretics, which reduce blood pressure and fluid in the lungs. In some cases, a patient may suffer from both cardiac asthma and asthma. Treatments for both conditions are required in such instances.