COPD and CHF are two conditions that leave people feeling shortness of breath. Both these serious conditions share many symptoms and common risk factors. COPD stands for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, while CHF stands for congestive heart failure.
The key difference between COPD and CHF is the organ these conditions affect. COPD is a serious respiratory condition caused by obstructed airflow to the lungs, whereas CHF is a serious condition resulting from the heart’s inability to pump blood effectively throughout the body.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is COPD
3. What is CHF
4. Similarities – COPD and CHF
5. COPD vs CHF in Tabular Form
6. Summary – COPD vs CHF
7. FAQ – COPD and CHF
What is COPD?
COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a progressive disease that occurs due to the blockage of airflow to the lungs. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema can both result in COPD. Chronic bronchitis irritates the bronchial tube, which carries air to and from the lungs. Emphysema is the breakdown of the walls of the alveoli at the end of the bronchial tubes of the lungs. About 15 million people in 2020 suffered from COPD in America.
Normally, smoking is the main cause of COPD. The other causes include alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, second-hand smoking, air pollution, workplace dust, and fumes. The symptoms of this condition may include cough with mucus that persists for long periods of time, difficulty taking a deep breath, shortness of breath with mild exercise, shortness of breath while performing regular daily activities, and wheezing.
Figure 01: COPD
COPD can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, pulse oximetry, arterial blood gas test, electrocardiogram (EKG), chest X-ray, CT scan, and exercise test. Furthermore, treatment options for COPD may include using bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory medication (steroids), supplemental oxygen, antibiotics, vaccination, rehabilitation, anticholinergics, leukotriene modifiers, expectorants, antivirals, and lung surgery.
What is CHF?
CHF, or congestive heart failure, is a long-term condition that happens when the heart cannot pump blood well enough to give the body a normal supply. The symptoms of this condition may include shortness of breath, waking up with shortness of breath at night, chest pain, heart palpitation, fatigue, swelling of ankles, legs, and abdomen, weight gain, need to urinate while resting at night, a dry hacking cough, a full, bloated, hard stomach, and loss of appetite.
CHF can be caused by coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, congenital heart issues, diabetes, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, kidney disease, body mass index of more than 30, tobacco or recreational drug use, alcohol use, and medications such as cancer drugs.
Figure 02: CHF
CHF can be diagnosed through family history, physical examination, cardiac catheterization, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, heart MRI, CT scan, electrocardiogram, multigated acquisition scan, stress test, and genetic testing. Furthermore, treatment options for CHF may include refraining from tobacco use, regular exercising, using ACE-1 inhibitors, beta-blockers, cholesterol-lowering medications, aldosterone antagonists, diuretics, possible cardiac resynchronization therapy, possible implantable cardiac defibrillator, heart transplant, heart surgery, continuous infusion of inotropic drugs, and palliative care.
Similarities Between COPD and CHF
- COPD and CHF are two conditions that leave people feeling short of breath.
- Both these are serious conditions.
- They share many symptoms and common risk factors.
- Both these conditions can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, and imaging tests.
- They can be treated through specific medications and surgeries.
Difference Between COPD and CHF
Definition
- COPD is a progressive disease that occurs due to blocking airflow to the lungs.
- CHF is a long term condition that happens when the heart cannot pump blood well enough to give the body a normal supply.
Causes
- COPD can be caused by smoking, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, secondhand smoking, air pollution, workplace dust, and fumes.
- CHF can be caused by coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, congenital heart issues, diabetes, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, kidney disease, body mass index of more than 30, tobacco or recreational drug use, alcohol use, and medications such as cancer drugs.
Symptoms
- Symptoms of COPD include cough with mucus that persists for long periods of time, difficulty taking a deep breath, shortness of breath with mild exercise, shortness of breath performing regular daily activities, and wheezing.
- Symptoms of CHD include shortness of breath, waking up shortness of breath at night, chest pain, heart palpitation, fatigue, swelling of ankles, legs, and abdomen, weight gain, need to urinate while resting at night, a dry hacking cough, a full, bloated, hard stomach, and loss of appetite.
Diagnosis
- COPD can be diagnosed with a medical history, physical examination, pulse oximetry, arterial blood gas test, electrocardiogram (EKG), chest X-ray, CT scan, and exercise test.
- CHD can be diagnosed with family history, physical examination, cardiac catheterization, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, heart MRI, CT scan, electrocardiogram, multigated acquisition scan, stress test, and genetic testing.
Treatment
- Treatments for COPD include using bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory medication (steroids), supplemental oxygen, antibiotics, vaccination, rehabilitation, anticholinergics, leukotriene modifiers, expectorants, antivirals, and lung surgery.
- Treatments for CHF include refraining from tobacco use, regular exercising, using ACE-1 inhibitors, beta-blockers, cholesterol-lowering medications, aldosterone antagonists, diuretics, possible cardiac resynchronization therapy, possible implantable cardiac defibrillator, heart transplant, heart surgery and continuous infusion of inotropic drugs and palliative care.
The following table summarizes the difference between COPD and CHF.
Summary – COPD vs CHF
COPD and CHF are two serious conditions that cause shortness of breath in people. Both these conditions show many similar symptoms and share common risk factors. However, COPD affects the lungs, while CHF affects the heart. Moreover, COPD is mainly caused by smoking, whereas CHF is mainly caused by other conditions such as coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, congenital heart issues, diabetes, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, kidney disease, etc. This summarizes the difference between COPD and CHF.
FAQ: COPD and CHF
1. What is COPD caused by?
- Smoking is the main cause of COPD and is thought to be responsible for around 9 in every 10 cases. The other causes include alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, second-hand smoking, air pollution, workplace dust, and fumes.
2. What are the main symptoms of COPD?
- The main symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, cough that may bring up sputum, wheezing or chest tightness, fatigue or tiredness, and reoccurring lung infections like acute bronchitis or pneumonia.
3. What are the treatments for COPD?
- Using bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory medication (steroids), supplemental oxygen, antibiotics, vaccination, rehabilitation, anticholinergics, leukotriene modifiers, expectorants, antivirals and lung surgery.
4. Can COPD be mistaken for CHF?
- Yes, COPD can sometimes be mistaken for CHF due to overlapping symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and fatigue. However, they are distinct conditions with different underlying causes and treatments.
5. Can CHF be cured?
- There is no cure for heart failure. Treatments can relieve the symptoms and further damage to the heart. These treatments may include medications, therapies, and heart surgery.
Reference:
1. “Overview -Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).” NHS Choices, NHS.
2. Malik, Ahmad. “Congestive Heart Failure.” StatPearls [Internet]., U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Image Courtesy:
1. “COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Illustration” By NIH Image Gallery (CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED) via Flickr
2. “Heart failure” By National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia