Never ignore these seven symptoms of heart disease
If something goes wrong with your heart, would 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 heart conditions come with clear warning signs. You won’t always have dramatic chest pain followed by collapse like in the movies. Some symptoms of heart disease don’t even involve the chest, so it can be hard to tell what’s happening.
Charles Chambers, a physician who leads 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 if you're overweight, have diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure," says Vincent Bufalino, 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 suffer a heart 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 describe a bitter or burning sensation."
This feeling usually lasts longer than a few minutes and may occur at rest or during exertion.
If the complaint is just a very brief pain — or if there is a specific spot that hurts more when touched or pressed — the problem probably isn't cardiac, but you should still see your doctor, Chambers says. If your symptoms are severe and don’t go away after a few minutes, seek help immediately.
Also keep in mind that it is possible to have a heart condition — even an ischemic heart attack — without chest pain. This is especially common among women.
2. Pain that spreads to the arm
Another classic symptom of a heart attack is pain that radiates down the left side of the body.
"The onset almost always starts in the chest and spreads outward," Chambers says, "but I have some patients who mainly experienced arm pain, which later turned out to be heart attacks."
3. Feeling dizzy or light-headed
Many things can make you lose your balance or feel like you're about to faint — not eating or drinking enough, or standing up too quickly, for example.
But if you suddenly feel unsteady and also have chest discomfort or shortness of breath, seek medical help immediately.
"It could mean your blood pressure is low because your heart can't pump blood the way it should," says Bufalino.
4. Non-stop cough
In most cases, a cough is not a sign of a heart problem. But if you have heart disease or are at risk, pay attention to this possibility.
A long-term cough that produces white or pink sputum may be a sign of heart failure. This happens when the heart can't keep up with the body's demands, causing blood to back up into the lungs.
5. Feeling overwhelmed easily
If you suddenly feel tired or exhausted after an effort you previously handled without trouble — such as climbing stairs or carrying groceries — make an appointment with your doctor right away.
"This clear change in your ability matters more to us than minor aches and pains," says Bufalino.
Extreme fatigue or unexplained weakness — sometimes lasting several days — can be a symptom of heart disease, especially in women.
6. Snoring
It’s normal to snore a little in sleep, but very loud snoring that sounds like gasping or choking can be a sign of sleep apnea. That means you stop breathing for short periods several times a night, which puts extra strain on your heart.
Your doctor can check whether you need a sleep study to diagnose this condition. If you have sleep apnea, you may need a CPAP machine to make breathing easier 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 quickly enough, blood pools in the veins and causes swelling.
Heart failure can also make it harder for the kidneys to remove excess water and sodium, which can lead to bloating.