5 Signs of Heart Disease that Warrant a Checkup

Heart disease often develops gradually over the course of many years, with symptoms being rather subtle and easy to ignore in many cases. It’s not uncommon for someone to go years without knowing that they have some form of cardiovascular disease, only to suddenly be made aware of the problem after a significant event like a myocardial infarction (heart attack). Unfortunately, many of these acute attacks and long-term problems could be avoided if patients knew what to look for in the early stages. With that said, here are the top 5 signs/symptoms of heart disease that should never be ignored:

1. Heart Palpitations and Arrhythmias

Palpitations – when the heart skips a beat, flutters, or beats very fast for a brief while – are very common, and when they occur only occasionally or can be linked to a known cause like excessive caffeine intake, they’re usually nothing to worry about. However, having an excessive number of palpitations on a daily basis could mean you have an arrhythmia. One of the most common and potentially harmful kinds of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation. There are millions of people facing the difficulties of living with atrial fibrillation, yet many are unaware how serious the condition really is.

2. Feeling Like You’re Short of Breath or Can’t Fully Catch Your Breath

When the heart can’t effectively pump blood around the body, the result is fluid pooling in the extremities and stomach. This congestion is where the term “congestive heart failure” comes from. Fluid can backup into the lungs or fill the spaces surrounding the lungs, thereby making it difficult to fully expand your lungs to full capacity. If you notice that you’re felling short of breath while resting or after light exertion, that’s a sign there might be something amiss with your cardiovascular system.

3. Swelling in the Legs, Feet, Ankles, Stomach, and Lower Back

Heart failure and poor circulation can cause fluid to pool in the tissues of the lower extremities as well as the stomach or lower back. Any swelling that occurs repeatedly and has no known explanation should be reported to a physician as soon as possible, especially if it coincides with any of the other symptoms on this list.

4. Frequently Feeling Fatigued, Weak, Dizzy, or Confused

When the cardiovascular system isn’t pumping blood efficiently you might notice a fatigued, weak, dizzy or confused feeling, Some patients with heart disease also experience a sudden drop in blood pressure when standing up too quickly and many will report fainting or becoming lightheaded as a result.

5. Chest Pain (Angina) and Pain/Numbness in the Left Arm, Neck, Jaw, and Back

Any pain in the chest that also radiates to the left arm, neck, jaw or back should be taken seriously and reported to a physician. There are many causes of chest pain, but when they’re accompanied by numbness and/or radiating pain in the aforementioned areas, or if the pain becomes worse after psychical exertion, there’s a chance that it could be angina caused by some form of cardiovascular disease.

Early Detection and Lifestyles Changes are Key to Improving Prognosis

In closing, recognizing the above signs and symptoms early on is the best way to ensure the disease is caught before it progresses to more advanced stages. With proper guidance, medication, and a few lifestyle changes, it’s possible to prevent heart disease from worsening and/or mitigate the effects of any current conditions.