What is the Difference Between Asthma and Heart Problems

The key difference between asthma and heart problems is that asthma is a condition that occurs when the airways of the lungs become inflamed and narrowed, while heart problems include many conditions that affect the heart.

Asthma and heart problems are medical conditions that can cause life-threatening complications in people. Moreover, asthma and heart problems are often misdiagnosed due to similar symptoms. However, they are different medical conditions. Asthma is due to inflamed airways of the lungs, while heart problems are mainly due to weak or stiff heart muscles.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Asthma 
3. What are Heart Problems
4. Similarities – Asthma and Heart Problems
5. Asthma vs. Heart Problems in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Asthma vs. Heart Problems

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a lung disease. In this condition, the airways get narrow and swollen and are blocked by excess mucus. Asthma is often called bronchial asthma. It is a chronic condition. This condition affects more than 25 million people in the United States, which include more than 5 million children. Besides, three things can occur during an asthma attack: bronchospasm (muscles around the airways constrict), inflammation, and mucus production.

The signs and symptoms of asthma include chest tightness, pain, pressure, coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Moreover, asthma is caused by allergies, environmental factors, genetics, and respiratory infections. In addition, the common triggers of this condition may include air pollution, dust mites, exercise, mold, pests, pets, tobacco smoke, strong chemicals or smells, and certain occupational exposures.

Asthma can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, spirometry, chest X-ray, blood test, and skin test. Furthermore, treatment options for asthma may include bronchodilators (relaxing the muscles around the airways), anti-inflammatory medicines (reduced swelling and mucus production in the airways), and biological therapies.

What are Heart Problems?

Heart problems are a collection of conditions that can affect the heart. The most common type is coronary artery disease (CAD). The other conditions may include arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disease, heart failure, etc. About 695,000 people in the United States die every year from heart problems. The signs and symptoms of heart problems may include chest pain, shortness of breath, swelling of the legs, fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, sweating, light-headedness, neck pain, heartburn, exhaustion or tiredness, and fever. The causes of heart problems are plaques forming in the arteries, heart muscle scarring, genetic issues, medications, infections, autoimmune conditions, and thyroid issues. Moreover, the common triggers of heart problems include a poor diet, lack of exercise, obesity, and smoking.

Herat problems can be diagnosed through physical examination, electrocardiogram, ambulatory monitors, echocardiogram, cardiac computerized tomography (CT), heart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), blood tests, stress tests, and cardiac catheterization. Furthermore, treatments may include lifestyle changes, medications (for cholesterol, arrhythmias, etc.), open-heart surgery, minimally invasive surgery, ablation, catheterization procedures, stent placement, cardioversion, and cardiac rehabilitation.

What are the Similarities Between Asthma and Heart Problems?

• Asthma and heart problems are two medical conditions that can cause life-threatening complications.
• Asthma can increase the risk of heart problems.
• Both conditions may have similar symptoms, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing, etc.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical exanimation and imaging tests.
• They can be treated through specific medications.

What is the Difference Between Asthma and Heart Problems?

Asthma is a condition that occurs when the airways of the lungs become inflamed and narrowed, while heart problems include many conditions that affect the heart. Thus, this is the key difference between asthma and heart problems. Furthermore, the causes of asthma are allergies, environmental factors, genetics, and respiratory infections. On the other hand, the causes of heart problems are plaques forming in the arteries, heart muscle scarring, genetic issues, medications, infections, autoimmune conditions, and thyroid issues.

The infographic below presents the differences between asthma and heart problems in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Asthma vs. Heart Problems

Asthma is a lung disease that affects the airways of the lungs and makes it harder to breathe. However, over time, asthma can also have an impact on the heart. Research shows having or suffering from asthma can significantly raise the risk of heart problems. Heart problems are mainly due to weak heart muscles or blockages in the heart. Moreover, these conditions can cause life-threatening complications. So, this summarizes the difference between asthma and heart problems.

Reference:

1. “Heart Disease.” MedlinePlus.
2. “Asthma.” Mayo Clinic.

Image Courtesy:

1. “An Asthma patient taking medication using an inhaler” By Myupchar (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Depiction of a person suffering from heart failure” By Myupchar (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia