Differentiate between heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Tong Van Hoan - Emergency Medicine Doctor - Emergency Department - Vinmec Danang International Hospital. Doctor with 10 years of experience in the field of Emergency Resuscitation.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease and one of the major causes of death worldwide. The disease is characterized by obstructive airways disorder that is not fully reversible, and is often progressive, associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the bronchi to noxious gases or particles.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease combined with chronic bronchitis and pneumothorax. For bronchitis, the airways extending from the windpipe into the lungs are irritated and secreted. Pneumothorax is severe damage to the tiny air sacs in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, leading to the lungs not working properly and making it difficult for the person to breathe.
The majority of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are often accompanied by diseases such as weight loss, diabetes, osteoporosis, lung cancer, and especially cardiovascular disease.

Heart failure is a disease when the heart has become too weak and not strong enough to contract and pump blood to the body. As a result, blood is not adequately pumped out of the heart, so it builds up in the heart. At this time, the heart will tend to beat faster to push the remaining blood, and expand the chamber to accommodate a larger volume of blood.

3.1 Similar Symptoms that patients with heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease both experience include:
Shortness of breath and wheezing: often appear with strenuous exercise, and tend to develop gradually , for example shortness of breath when climbing stairs. When the disease is severe, it can be difficult to breathe even at rest. Chronic cough is one of the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cough is sometimes accompanied by greasy or only dry cough. Patients with heart failure tend to cough with sputum, which may also contain blood, pus, or bacteria. Chest tightness: In patients with heart failure, the heart will feel fast in the chest, beating irregularly. People with heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have one thing in common: they both have to limit their movement. Because if the activity is strenuous, it can make the patient feel short of breath, beat against the chest.

3.2 Differences The difference between heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the cause of the disease.
Heart failure: heart failure can be caused by coronary artery disease, which is a disease that blocks blood vessels in the heart and causes angina. Especially people with heart failure will have signs of high blood pressure, other causes include: heart valve disease, diseases of the heart muscle, pericardium... Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): causes Pulmonary disease is common in people with a history of smoking. Some people get chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from breathing in smoke or chemicals in the workplace. The risk is also increased if there is a family history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In summary, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure both share symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, and chronic cough. However, people with heart failure often have symptoms related to high blood pressure and pain in the left chest. For people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, most people will have a history of smoking, living and working in polluted environments, exposed to dusts (aluminum, silicon, coal dust, smoke) substances toxic from industrial plants, vehicles...
In addition, the two diseases above have some clinical features (symptomatic), tests and imaging tests also have similarities. together.