Understanding the Signs and Symptoms of Heart Disease
Just because you have
heart disease does not mean that you are going to have
heart disease symptoms.
Plaque can be building up in your arteries, causing no noticeable symptoms. In fact, it usually takes many years of plaque buildup before signs and symptoms of heart disease appear. Symptoms generally appear when the coronary arteries have been sufficiently clogged to cause a reduction in blood to the heart. At this point, a person will experience symptoms indicative of clogged arteries.
Common Heart Disease Symptoms
The most common symptoms of this disease are:
- Chest pain or discomfort (angina)
- Pain in one or both arms, the left shoulder, neck, jaw, or back
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Faster heartbeats
- Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach)
- Abnormal heartbeats
- Feeling very tired.
In many cases, these symptoms will come and go. Also, the severity of heart disease symptoms varies widely. Your symptoms may become more severe as your coronary arteries become narrower due to the buildup of plaque (
atherosclerosis).
Heart Attack -- Many Times This Is the First Symptom of Heart Disease
In some people, the first symptom of this disease is a
heart attack. A heart attack occurs when a coronary artery becomes blocked, most commonly by a blood clot.
Heart attack symptoms can include:
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. This can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the neck, jaw, back, or stomach.
- Shortness of breath. This often comes along with chest discomfort, but it also can occur before discomfort in the chest.
- Breaking out in a cold sweat or feeling nausea or light-headedness.
Other vague symptoms may include:
- Unusual tiredness
- Trouble sleeping
- Problems breathing
- Indigestion (upset stomach)
- Anxiety (feeling uneasy or worried).
Heart Disease Symptoms: Final Thoughts
If you have several
heart disease risk factors, you should talk with your healthcare provider, even if you have no
heart disease symptoms. There are things you can do to lower your risks and improve the health of your heart and blood vessels.
