Signals that something is wrong with your heart.
The basic symptoms of cardiac problems, such as tightness, pressure, or pain in the chest, are by no means the only ones. People frequently overlook the connection between the symptoms they experience and their true origin, the heart. As a result, individuals may not receive the immediate assistance they require in the event of a heart attack or stroke, or they may have a significant delay in receiving a diagnosis and course of treatment for potential heart disease.
An EKG readout with a stethoscope on top.
“Most people are more familiar with their bodies than any doctor is. According to Parag Joshi, M.D., a cardiology fellow at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, “in general, if you consistently feel something isn’t ‘right’ or isn’t what you’re used to, that merits medical attention.”
The signal that anything is wrong with your heart might come from anywhere in your body.
Straight but Unexpected Heart Issues Symptoms
Insufficient blood flow via the arteries to the heart is closely associated with a number of body signals pertaining to the heart. These symptoms, however, might not seem immediately linked to the heart.
Neck and jaw ache: The heart isn’t always the source of chest pain. When it spreads from the chest to the jaw and neck, it is cause for concern.
Bloating and nausea: Before they experience chest pain, women in particular frequently express this type of discomfort, which might include vomiting.
Overall drowsiness: Less blood reaches your muscles and lungs when your heart can’t pump efficiently.
A warning sign is having trouble breathing and feeling exhausted while performing regular tasks like walking across a parking lot or climbing stairs.
Less Obvious Heart Issues Symptoms
Even though there are no obvious links between certain issues and heart disease, getting your heart checked is still recommended, especially if you also have other heart disease risk factors.
Sleep disorder . Breathing during sleep is temporarily stopped by this airway collapse, which has been associated to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack.
Difficulty getting or keeping an erection: Erectile dysfunction can be a very early symptom of the arterial damage caused by heart disease, despite the fact that many men do not associate these issues with the heart. Blood vessel issues in one area of the body are linked to blood vessel issues in another, according to Joshi.
Numbness, pain, or cramping: in the calves while you walk. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD), a circulation issue, may be the cause of this type of leg pain that you experience while you exercise and goes away when you stop. Atherosclerosis, or the accumulation of harmful plaque in the arteries, is frequently present in people with PVD.
