Did you know that heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States? Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to recognize signs of poor heart health. The fact is that not every heart issue will come with very obvious warning signs and symptoms.
To help you out, here are the symptoms you really need to watch out for.
What Are Some Noticeable Signs of Poor Heart Health?
There are often no symptoms of heart disease. This doesn’t mean that there are no signs to watch out for. If you notice any of these, be sure to talk to your doctor to get a heart screening.
Shortness of Breath
You’ll obviously be breathing heavily when you’re working hard, but this is a problem if you have shortness of breath when you’re idle.
First, begin by considering your situation. Are you anxious or having an allergic reaction? This can cause shortness of breath. It should feel like your lungs are heavy, and if there are no other causes for it, consider getting your heart checked.
Chest Discomfort
Your chest might feel tight, in pain, or have some pressure if you have a blocked artery or are having a heart attack. It probably isn’t your heart if this pain is extremely brief or only hurts when you touch or push your chest.
However, if this pain lasts for longer than a few minutes or when you’re at rest or even working, this might be a sign of something more serious. You should call for paramedics in this situation.
General Sickness
Not every little sickness is a sign of a heart attack. But if you’re feeling some odd symptoms or are feeling more sick than usual, this might indicate that something’s wrong.
These can be something simple like nausea, stomach pain, or indigestion. If none of this pain is intense, you can start by just talking to your doctor.
Throat and Jaw Pain
Yes, you can feel pain in your throat and jaw when your heart is struggling. This isn’t problematic if it’s separate pain, and might be something that you need to talk to your dentist about instead.
But when paired with pain and pressure in your chest that spreads into your throat and jaw, this could be a sign of a heart attack.
Exhausted and Sweaty
You should not feel fatigued or winded from doing something that you had no problem doing in the past. For example, if you’re climbing stairs or carrying groceries and this has never been a problem, you shouldn’t feel extremely exhausted. If you do, then you need to talk with your doctor.
The same is true of newly excessive sweating. Feeling hot and clammy along with chest pains is a sign that you need to call for help.
Left Shoulder Pain
This might sound a little bit odd, but experiencing pain in your left shoulder can be a sign of heart trouble. That’s because the nerves in your left arm mix with the nerves in your heart, and both send those pain signals to your brain. Your brain might think chest pain is shoulder pain.
You need to get this checked out if you suddenly start to experience pains in your shoulder or arm, especially if you’re struggling with other issues like shortness of breath.
Swelling
Any time your legs, feet, and ankles are swelling, this is a problem. This means that your heart may not be pumping as efficiently as it should. In this case, you need to get this checked out. Even if it isn’t a heart issue, you do need to talk to your doctor.
Conclusion
Heart disease kills so many people, but the symptoms may not always be obvious. Of course, not every symptom revolves around heart disease, and some of these symptoms may not even be directly related to your heart. Your best bet is to get these checked out by your doctor, especially if there’s a sudden onset of these symptoms.
