A heart is a muscular organ that acts as a pump. It is the size of your fist and located slightly to the left of center in your chest area. Your heart is divided into two areas: right and left side. The separate areas prevent oxygen-poor blood from mixing with oxygen-rich blood. Heart disease describes the many medical conditions affecting your heart. The disease affects the areas of your heart such as the blood vessels, how your heart beats and your arteries. This medical condition can also lead to a heart attack.
A heart attack occurs when the artery pumping oxygen-rich blood is blocked and the heart cannot obtain any oxygen. If the oxygen-rich blood is not quickly restored, it could be fatal. If it is not fatal, the heart can die, which can lead to more health problems. Heart disease is not a sudden medical condition. Heart disease happens over time. Since the medical condition develops over time, you may notice some early signs or symptoms of the disease. It is important to note that not everyone will notice the same symptoms. The signs of heart disease vary from person to person. However, it is vital to understand and know both the signs and symptoms of heart disease.
1. Chest Discomfort
Chest discomfort, also referred to as chest pain, occurs between your back and upper abdomen. Although pain in the chest is a symptom of many different medical conditions, it is one of the most common heart disease symptom. Chest discomfort occurs because your heart does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood. The type and amount of pain varies from person to person. However, the intensity of the pain does not always indicate the severe lack of blood flow to the heart.
2. Nausea
Nausea, also called lightheadedness, describes feeling queasy in your stomach without feeling the need to vomit. It is not a disease, but a sign of many different medical conditions, including heart disease. The medical condition is not painful, but uncomfortable. You experience the nausea in the back of your throat, upper abdomen or chest. The sensation includes other things like anxiety, dizziness or an upset stomach. Lightheadedness may accompany shortness of breath. This can occur even when you are at rest. Nausea, whether it accompanies sweating, shortness of breath or anxious or not, is the first symptom of a heart disease condition.
3. Indigestion
Indigestion, also called, dyspepsia, is a mild discomfort in your abdomen or upper belly. It is a general symptom because it can happen either while you are eating or shortly after you finish eating. It is also a sign that you are suffering from a heart condition. When you experience indigestion, you feel burning, pain or heat that travels from the lower area of your breastbone to your navel. You may also experience a feeling of being full as soon as you begin eating or shortly after your meal has ended. Indigestion is not heartburn.
4. Pain That Spreads to the Arm
Pain in the chest discussed earlier can travel down the arm. The pain can be mild or severe. Men and women often experience pain that spreads to arm differently. For instance, men will feel the pain spread to their left shoulder before it travels down the left arm. It can also travel to the child area. Women will experience pain that spreads to the arm in a subtle way. It may radiate to the right or left arm. It can travel up the shoulder blades, chin or upper back or it can travel to the stomach area.
5. Dizziness
Dizziness is described as many different sensations such as feeling unsteady, woozy, faint or weak. It gives you a false sensation that you are spinning or your surroundings are spinning around you. The medical condition may last a few seconds or longer. You could lose your balance or feel like you are floating on air. The sensation may worsen or be triggered by moving, walking or standing. You may or may not experience nausea along with the dizziness. Sometimes dizziness can occur simply because you stood too quickly or you are dehydrated. However, it is a sign of a heart condition.
6. Throat Pain
The pain in your chest can travel to different areas of your body, including your neck and throat. Pain in your throat occurs when you have a sharp pain in the lower area of the throat. It may feel like something is lodged in your throat. The pain may be mild or between mild and severe pain. You may also feel tightness in your throat. Tightness in your throat may feel like your throat is closing. The throat pain may accompany troubling swallowing.
7. Fatigue
Being tired or sleepy can often happen. This is different than fatigue because it is described in different ways depending on who you ask. It is basically lack of energy, weakness, difficulty getting complete rest and lack of motivation. You are also constantly exhausted or tired. You have a difficulty starting and completing tasks. The amount of fatigue also varies. You may be tired a little bit or a lot. Tiredness can have various causes. However, it is a subtle hint of heart disease. The reason that fatigue occurs is the heart cannot pump the needed blood to your body’s tissues.
8. Sweating
Sweating happens when your sweat glands located in your skin secretes a salty fluid called sweat, or perspiration. Sweating during physical activity is normal and healthy. However, when you begin perspiration with little or no exertion, there is a problem. You typically should not be sweating excessively unless you are having a different underlying condition such as menopause or a stressful, traumatic event. It may be a sign of heart disease. Perspiration may occur with discomfort or pain in your jaw, chest, neck or arm. It may also accompany numbness or tingling in your chest. Other issues you may experience with excessive perspiration is loss of consciousness, weakness, headache and shortness of breath.
9. Irregular Heart Beat
An irregular heart beat can be an uneven or fast beating of your heart. You may experience a skipping, fluttering or racing heartbeat. The change in the beating of your heart can happen at any time and often without warning. It can happen by itself or you may experience other medical conditions. For instance, you may experience shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting or lightheadedness along with an irregular heartbeat. If you have heart disease and an irregular heartbeat, your heart cannot pump blood properly. Thus, it may beat faster or skip a beat to keep up with the blood supply.
