What can cause fainting while coughing?

Question

Hello doctor,

My father is 58 years old and has had a cough problem for a very long time. Another main problem associated with it is that he suddenly fell and fainted while coughing. He has been consuming alcohol regularly for 20 years, smokes, and chews pan masala too. He had quit drinking for 13 days and decided to do a fast for nine days, and this fainting accident happened again. Previously, we thought it was because of his drinking habits, but yesterday's incident forced us to think in another direction. Please suggest what we should do.

It seems that there is a lot of cough inside his body, and the main problem is that the cough does not come out regularly, which creates a problem in taking a breath. As my mother told me yesterday, his breathing stopped for four minutes. Previously, I have also noticed that this problem happened while he coughed. He had not consulted a doctor but took herbal supplements.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your query and concern.

To me, your father needs immediate consultation with a cardiologist first and to run a complete cardiac checkup to rule out cardiovascular problems. As he has been drinking for a long time, I suggest we run an upper endoscopy to rule out stomach ulcers, acid reflux, or any other liver problems caused by alcohol. Meanwhile, you should check his blood pressure and blood sugar levels at home and record the results to let them evaluate by his caring doctor.

Regards.