Stop ignoring possible symptoms of heart disease

Would you know if you had heart disease?  There’s a good chance you may not since heart problems tend to be subtle without necessarily drawing attention to itself.  Heart disease comes in many forms and is the leading cause of death for both men and women.  Becoming aware of symptoms that might indicate any form of heart disease is advised as if you experience any of them, you should see your doctor right away to have them evaluated.

1.  Chest pain or discomfort

Anytime anyone has some sort of chest pain or discomfort it is alarming.  Having chest pain does not automatically always mean heart disease but until it is checked out, you will not know for sure.  With cardiovascular disease being so prevalent a symptom such as chest pain should not be ignored.

Chest pain or discomfort can be described in many ways – pain, pressure, squeezing, numbness or a form of discomfort whether in the chest, neck, or upper abdomen and pain also occurring in the jaw, head or arms.

Pain or discomfort could last from less than a second to days or weeks.  When you experience symptoms such as this, take note of when it began, where the pain is felt, the level of pain, how long the pain or discomfort lasts and how frequently does it happen, can help the doctor make an accurate diagnosis to figure out the correct cause.

2.  Palpitations or awareness of your heartbeat

A common symptom for many is having the awareness of palpitations or of your heart beating.  Each person is different in how they feel or are aware of their palpitations – they could be described as “skipping a beat” followed by a particularly strong beat or as feeling rapid and/or irregular heartbeats. 

3.  Lightheadedness or dizziness

Having symptoms of feeling lightheaded or dizzy can be due to many causes other than heart disease.  Conditions such as being anemic, having diabetes, prolonged bed rest, dehydration, thyroid disease, neurological disorders or gastrointestinal issues could all bring on these symptoms. 

To rule out various conditions, it is best to have a thorough and complete examination by a doctor.  Keep track of how often this occurs and if it becomes worse on physical exertion. 

4.  Fainting or loss of consciousness

The term for fainting or loss of consciousness is syncope.  Many people will faint or pass out at least once in their life without it necessarily being a serious condition.  But syncope can indicate a more serious or even life-threatening medical condition that needs to be evaluated. 

Syncope is categorized into four areas of the cause – neurologic, metabolic, vasomotor, and cardiac.  If it is due to cardiac reasons, syncope could lead to sudden death.

5.  Feeling lethargic or having daytime sleepiness

Everyone will feel tired, lethargic or experience daytime sleepiness which does not always indicate heart disease.  However, they could be associated with heart failure or possibly due to having sleep disturbances such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or insomnia.  All of these sleep disturbances are more common in people with heart disease and should be evaluated.

6.  Shortness of breath

Dyspnea or shortness of breath is a common symptom of heart disease or lung disorders. Having shortness of breath is frequently found in heart failure and coronary heart disease and is often brought on by exertion or when lying flat on their back.  A condition known as paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea can cause a person to wake up suddenly at night gasping for breath.  Shortness of breath is usually a sign of a serious health condition and should always be checked out by a doctor. 

7.  Swollen legs, feet or ankles

Noticing swelling or edema in your extremities that is out of the ordinary could be a sign your heart is not pumping blood as effectively as it should.  When this happens, blood is backing up in the veins causing bloating.  Heart failure is another reason for edema.  Having heart failure makes it harder for the kidneys to remove extra water and sodium from the body which can lead to swelling.

8.  Snoring

Most of us do snore at least a little while sleeping.  But if you have been told you snore unusually loud or you are making gasping or choking sounds while asleep and you feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, it could be a sign of sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea is a temporary cessation of breathing during sleep which puts extra stress on your heart.  Have it checked out by your doctor by having a sleep study done.  Wearing a CPAP machine at night is the main solution for treating sleep apnea to help prevent the pauses while breathing.