According to a sobering report from the World Health Organization, Heart Disease is the world’s leading cause of death and has been so for many decades. In fact, heart disease kills more people every year than respiratory disease, diabetes, road accidents, and various forms of cancer combined.
Adding insult to injury is the fact that heart disease indiscriminately claims lives across all cultural and socioeconomic groups. Therefore, learning to recognize the symptoms that may signal the presence of heart disease is of paramount importance.
This is especially so for the individuals who are most likely to suffer from heart disease; meaning anyone with a family history of heart problems, those who are overweight, smokers, heavy drinkers, and those who suffer from certain diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Here are the most telling signs and symptoms of underlying heart disease.
1. Chest Pain
Chest pain is perhaps the most recognizable symptom of heart disease around the world. However, chest pain is not always a symptom of angina or heart attack, and may be related to other diseases such as respiratory disorders, an excess of gastrointestinal gas, panic attack or even muscle fatigue.
Therefore, when experiencing chest pain it is important to note when the pain starts and the circumstances surrounding the event. It is also extremely important to note whether the pain can be described as a sharp or dull sensation, whether there is any squeezing or feelings of pressure, and whether the pain is accompanied by other symptoms.
Patients with heart disease experience pain that is typically accompanied by heartbeat alterations, palpitations, generalized swelling, fatigue and shortness of breath.
2. Chronic Cough
Patients may experience extensive respiratory symptoms due to heart disease, particularly a dry and persistent cough accompanied by wheezing. Various respiratory mechanisms participate in this phenomenon; for example, patients with heart disease experience increased resistance to airflow, increased respiratory center stimulus, and a severe build up of pulmonary interstitial fluid which causes respiratory congestion.
3. Dizziness
For some it is quite normal to feel dizzy when standing up rapidly, traveling by car or looking down from great heights. However, when an individual experiences frequent spells of dizziness and for no apparent reason, it may be a symptom of cardiovascular disease.
Occasionally, and for a variety of reasons, the heart may not be able to adequately pump enough blood to the rest of the body, including the brain which may result in dizziness. Having an abnormally slow heartbeat, known as Bradycardia, causes dizziness. Hypotension, also known as low blood pressure, causes dizziness. Arteriosclerosis causes a narrowing of the arteries which reduces blood supply to the brain and heart. Some patients experience severe dizziness right before a heart attack.
4. Fatigue
Asthenia, or fatigue as it is more commonly known, describes a condition of abnormal physical fatigue. It is characterized by a generalized and prolonged weakness of the body and mind as well as a significant reduction in functional strength. Unlike normal fatigue, this state of exhaustion does not correlate to an episode of physical exertion nor does it disappear with rest.
Feeling very tired all the time, can be a telling sign of heart disease, however before ascribing fatigue to some form of heart disease one should rule out a host of autoimmune disorders, drug side effects, neurological diseases, infections, endocrine disorders, and psychiatric or psychological origins.
Nevertheless, impairment of important hemodynamic factors such as heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac output and stroke volume, has been linked to the development of chronic fatigue in patients with heart disease.
5. Gastrointestinal Discomfort
It is common for patients with some forms of heart disease to experience a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and even indigestion.
Although these symptoms are commonplace in the general population they rarely signify a serious illness unless they are present in conjunction with other symptoms on this list. For example, if a patient experiences nausea concurrently with sharp chest pains and abdominal discomfort, it may be a sign of a heart attack.
Although the exact mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not precisely known, it is believed that intra-abdominal fluid build-up due to reduced circulation may be responsible.
6. Pain In Other Parts of the Body
Although chest pain is the one symptom of heart disease that is immediately recognized by the general populace, many are unaware that pain in other areas of the body may also be closely linked to cardiac health.
Case in point, it is extremely common for patients suffering a heart attack to report unusually strong pain shooting down their left arm. Left arm pain is far from being the only sign, many patients with underlying heart disease frequently complain of having tightness or discomfort in the neck, upper back, and shoulders.
7. Arrhythmia
Cardiac rhythm can be divided into two phases: One in which the cardiac cavity fills with blood, and another in which the cardiac muscle contracts and pumps blood into the bloodstream, thus maintaining adequate hemodynamics. This process naturally occurs in a steady and rhythmical way; however, when that rhythm is disturbed, it is a clear sign that something is wrong with the cardiovascular system.
An arrhythmia is just such an alteration of the heart’s rhythm. Arrhythmias can be accompanied by weakness, dizziness or difficulty breathing and may be interpreted as evidence of a heart attack, heart insufficiency, or even coronary artery disease.
8. Shortness of Breath
Shortness of breath is a very common symptom in patients with heart disease. When shortness of breath cannot explained with physical exertion it may be due to a variety of causes including heart disease. Since the respiratory system depends on the circulatory system to pump newly oxygenated blood throughout the body, if the heart is not functioning properly a distinct shortness of breath may manifest.
Shortness of breath is highly subjective, and although it cannot be measured with devices objectively, there are clinical scales that can gauge its extent.
9. Cold Sweats
Cold sweats are a well-known symptom of heart disease. Cold sweats may signify that the heart is not pumping sufficient oxygenated blood to the brain. This oxygen starvation may then generate a misfire in the region of the brain in charge of sweating and temperature control. Cold sweats may also be a direct response to the pain experienced from a cardiac episode such as a heart attack.
10. Swollen Legs
Swollen legs and feet can be due to a multitude of reasons, from a sedentary lifestyle through fluid retention. However, this symptom can also be a sign that congestive heart failure is at hand, especially if accompanied by respiratory problems.
11. Extreme weakness
Extreme weakness, especially of the leg muscles, may occur in the days before a heart attack or be associated with cardiac insufficiency and hypotension. It is believed that sympathetic nerve hyperactivity may be related to this development.
12. Anxiety
Psychological factors may influence the onset and evolution of cardiovascular disease. Stress and depression are two such factors. In fact, growing evidence supports the hypothesis that negative emotions, such as anxiety, negatively influence the development of coronary heart disease. Curiously enough, anxiety functions as both a symptom and a potential risk factor.
13. Erectile Dysfunction
Many people think that sexual dysfunction develops as a result of problems with the reproductive organs or due to psychological disorders such as depression. While this may be true in some cases, the truth is that many cases of erectile dysfunction have more to do with cardiac health than anything else. The primary mechanism through which heart disease causes erectile dysfunction is by limiting the amount of blood that reaches the tumescent penis, so that the chances of achieving or maintaining an erection diminish dramatically.
Conclusion
When the heart becomes diseased or begins to fail, the signs and symptoms will be felt throughout the entire body. The greater the number of symptoms a patient experiences, the greater the probability of having a potentially life-threatening heart condition. Therefore, when the first symptoms of heart disease begin to manifest it is imperative to schedule a consultation with a cardiologist for a thorough evaluation and subsequent treatment.
Although genetics, age, and other lifestyle factors all play determinant roles in the long-term prognosis of heart disease, early detection is arguably one of the most important factors that can diminish the impact it has on life expectancy and overall health of the patient.
Cardiologists regularly rely on imaging and laboratory tests such as X-rays, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, serum Troponin levels, myoglobin levels, and CK-MB levels to gauge the efficiency and relative health of the heart.
It is important to note that some patients with heart disease are completely asymptomatic, meaning that no obvious symptoms develop as a result of the disease’s progression. On the other hand, many patients begin manifesting the first signs and symptoms of heart disease well before it becomes life-threatening.
Therefore, absolutely everyone stands to benefit from regular check ups with a certified cardiologist.