Heart disease is the number one killer of people in the United States which makes it devastating as some cases could have been prevented with clean living, exercise and better diets. Of course, some problems that contribute to heart disease are genetic or the result of another pre-existing condition. Regardless, some seemingly healthy people have heart disease and do not realize it. They may even display some symptoms of heart disease but shrug them off as some other ailment.
It is important to recognize the most common symptoms of heart disease so you will seek medical attention before the disease is beyond treatment. Here are some of those symptoms:
1. Chest pain – Chest pain could encompass burning sensations, an extreme feeling of pressure, a feeling like you are choking, or even a numbness or squeezing sensation. These feelings could also occur in the upper stomach, neck, chest, jaw, head or arms. All of these can be symptoms of heart disease. They could last mere seconds or could occur off and on for days or weeks. Of course, other conditions resemble some of these sensations such as trapped gas, pinched nerves, heartburn or indigestion. It is important to not shrug off chest pain, especially if it recurs.
2. Dizziness – Occurrences of dizziness or even light-headedness can be a symptom of many other conditions like viral infection, blood problems like anemia, diabetes, dehydration and any number of organ disorders. They also can signal heart disease as well. If the dizziness or light-headedness occurs often, it is important that you get a full physical workup from the doctor.
3. Irregular heartbeat – An irregular heartbeat or palpitation is when the heart beats and you can actually feel it or recognize when the heart skips a beat or beats too strongly. Occasional palpitations are not unusual, especially if you engage in strenuous activity. However, other heart conditions like arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation can cause them and are related to heart disease.
4. Gasping for breath – If you have heart disease, you may find yourself short of breath, even though the symptom is more likely associated with lung problems. Lying prone or over-exerting can reduce the oxygen intake, thus the gasp for breath to take in more through the air.
5. Sleepiness or lethargy – You may feel that you require more and more sleep and find yourself falling asleep during work hours or even behind the wheel of a car. Being tired all the time is another symptom of heart disease. You are not receiving enough rest nor enough oxygen through the blood, likely due to the heart not pumping enough or as hard as it needs to.
6. Fainting – Everyone passes out at least once in their life and it's no big deal. However, when occurs more than once, it is serious cause for concern. Several different types of heart disease can cause fainting. Basically, the heart has to work too hard to pump oxygenated blood throughout your body so your brain is not getting all it needs. A full doctor work-up is necessary to determine the exact cause.
There are other symptoms of heart disease that may manifest themselves and can differ from person to person. It is important to get any symptoms that don't seem related to anything checked out to rule out even the possibility of heart disease.