Never ignore these seven symptoms of heart disease
If something goes wrong in your heart, will you know?
Show key points
- Heart disease doesn't always present with obvious or dramatic symptoms, making it difficult to recognize without medical testing.
- Chest discomfort, especially pressure or tightness that lingers, is a common warning sign of heart problems, though it doesn't always appear in every case.
- Pain radiating to the left arm may indicate a heart ischemic attack, even in the absence of chest pain.
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- Unexpected dizziness or feeling faint, particularly when paired with chest issues or shortness of breath, can signal heart trouble requiring immediate attention.
- A persistent cough producing white or pink mucus could point to heart failure, especially in those already at risk.
- Unusual fatigue after basic activities may indicate underlying heart disease, and such changes should not be ignored.
- Swelling in the legs, feet, or ankles might suggest the heart isn't pumping efficiently, causing fluid buildup in the body.
Not all cardiac disorders appear with obvious warning signs. We do not always encounter disturbing chest pain followed by a fall to the ground as we see in the movies. Some symptoms of heart disease don't even occur in the chest, so it's not always easy to tell what's going on.
Charles Chambers, a physician who heads the cardiac catheterization laboratory at the Hershey Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Pennsylvania, says, "If you're not sure, you should be tested."
This is especially true if you're 60 or older, or you're overweight, have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, says Vincent Bufalino, a physician who serves as a spokesperson for the American Heart Association: "The more risk factors you have, the more you should pay attention to anything that may be related to heart disease."
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Pay special attention to the following:
1. Sensation of discomfort in the chest
It is the most common sign of a risk of heart disease. If you have a blocked artery or have a heart ischemic attack, you may feel pain, tightness or pressure in your chest.
"Everyone uses different words to describe this feeling," Chambers says, "some people say it's like an elephant sitting on them, while others liken it to a bitter or burning sensation."
This feeling usually lasts longer than a few minutes and may occur while resting or exertion.
If the complaint is just a very short pain — or if there's a certain spot that hurts more when touched or pressed — the complaint probably won't originate from the heart, but you still have to be examined by your doctor, Chambers says. If your symptoms are more severe and don't go away after a few minutes, you should seek help immediately.
In addition, keep in mind that it is possible to suffer from a heart disorder — and even a heart ischemic attack — without chest pain, which is especially common among women.
2. Pain that spreads to the arm
Another classic symptom of a heart ischemic attack is pain that spreads down to the left side of the body.
"The onset is almost always in the chest spreading outward," says Chambers, "but I have some patients who mainly experienced arm pain, which later turned out to be ischemic heart attacks."
3. Feeling dizzy or light-headed
There are a lot of things that can make you lose your balance or feel like you're going to faint momentarily, maybe not eating enough or drinking, or taking a standing position too quickly.
But if you suddenly feel unstable and also feel chest discomfort or shortness of breath, seek medical help immediately.
"It could mean that your blood pressure is low because your heart can't pump blood the way it should," says Buffalino.
4. Non-stop cough
In most cases, this complaint isn't a sign of a heart problem. But if you have heart disease or know you're at risk, pay special attention to this possibility.
If you have a long-term cough that produces white or pink sputum, it may be a sign of heart failure. This happens when the heart can't keep up with the body's demands, causing blood to leak backwards into the lungs.
5. Feeling overwhelmed easily
If you suddenly feel tired or exhausted after an effort that you didn't have a problem making in the past — such as climbing stairs or carrying groceries from the car — then make an appointment with your doctor right away.
"This pattern of change of tangible value is more important to us than all the small aches and minor pains you can feel," says Buffalino.
Extreme fatigue or unexplained weakness — which sometimes lasts for several days — can be a symptom of heart disease, especially for women.
6. Snoring
It's normal to snore a little while snooze, but snoring unusually loud, which is similar to panting or choking, can be a sign of sleep apnea. This means that you stop breathing for short moments several times a night while you fall asleep. This forces your heart to have extra distress.
Your doctor can investigate your need to undergo a sleep study to see if you have this condition. If you find out, you may need a CPAP machine to make it easier to breathe during sleep.
7. Swelling of the legs, feet and ankles
This swelling may be a sign that your heart is not pumping blood as effectively as it should. When the heart can't pump fast enough, blood collects in the veins causing swelling.
In addition, heart failure can make it difficult for the kidneys to rid the body of excess water and sodium, which can also lead to bloating.
