What are the main signs of heart disease?
What are the main signs of heart disease?
Introduction
Popular singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, known as KK passed away in 2022 after a live concert after reportedly feeling “heavy”. Despite being rushed to a hospital he succumbed to suspected heart attack. A significant percentage of people in India are unaware of the signs of heart disease and consequently, face adverse outcomes, including fatal outcomes. Here is how you could understand to recognize the possible indications of heart diseases and take remedial action on time.
What are the common heart disease symptoms in men?
Among males, the commonly reported symptoms of heart disease will differ, and depends on the type of heart disease. However, there are some common signs of heart disease that can help in recognizing the condition, including:
- Pain in the chest or a feeling of discomfort – This is typically experienced as some kind of pressure or squeezing sensation. You could also experience sharp pain or feel “full” like the symptom reported by singer KK. These sensations are felt in in the center or the left side of the chest. This could extend to the arms, the neck, or the back.
- Difficulty breathing – Another sign is difficulty breathing, breathlessness, mostly after some kind of physical activity. This may also be experienced when lying flat.
- Overall tiredness – You may feel tired persistently, or weak all the time, even after minimal activity.
- Changes in heartbeats – You may clearly feel that your heartbeats have turned irregular or beating rapidly. This could also be experienced as a distinct fluttering or pounding sensation in your chest.
- Other signs – In addition to the above, you may experience dizzy feelings and pain in the shoulders. You may also experience swelling in the legs, possible indigestion and break out into a cold sweat
Tips to identify signs and symptoms of heart disease?
Due to the nature of the symptoms, it may sometimes be difficulty to clearly recognize signs of heart disease. Here are some tips that you can follow to help identifying signs and symptoms early. This will help you seek timely treatment for effective outcomes and also prevent adverse results.
- Try to narrow down the pain sensation – When you experience any pain in the chest or discomfort, try to identify if it is a squeezing sensation. If the pain begins to radiate outwards, or if there is some pressure experienced, it could be a sign. Another way is to check if it is persistent in nature or severe.
- Breathing difficulties – If you experience breathlessness even after mild exertion, get yourself checked, it could be an early indication. Similarly, if breathlessness is experienced even when you are lying flat, this is a strong sign.
- Weakness – If you are feeling abnormally weak, even without activity, or while resting, check if you are experiencing any of the other symptoms mentioned above.
- Heartbeats – This is easy to distinguish as the rapid, or pounding heartbeats are hard to miss. If you feel that the frequency is abnormal, then check if you are experiencing any other symptoms.
- Discern multiple symptoms – It is necessary to try and check if you are experiencing more than one symptom. For instance, if you are feeling unusually weak, and if you have pain that is abnormal, get yourself checked. Similarly, look for combination of symptoms.
- Swelling – This is another symptom that many people are likely to miss or assume as unconnected. If you observe swelling in your legs and if it does not subside, go in for a check-up.
- Indigestion – Another symptom that is likely to be dismissed as unrelated is nausea, indigestion. If you experience other symptoms mentioned above, and if you also feel full, or experience nausea, it is time to go in for a check-up quickly.
- Cold sweating – If you experience sweating, that feels cold or clammy to the touch, it could be a sign. If you are sweating without any possible reason, and if it is accompanied by pain in the chest or difficulty breathing, this is an advanced symptom.
Are the heart disease symptoms in women different from men?
Yes, the signs of heart disease differ between women and men. Though both genders experience common symptoms, some symptoms are experienced differently by women:
Symptoms experienced by women
- Pain in the chest – this is experienced with lesser intensity and is not experienced as the main or primary sensation.
- Breathing difficulty – this is more pronounced and persistent in women.
- Fatigue – this is also more pronounced and will not usually be relieved with rest.
- Indigestion – in women, this is experienced either separately or sometimes with other symptoms.
- Pain elsewhere – women tend to feel pain in the back, shoulders, neck, or jaw, and are usually not experienced in the chest.
- Dizzy feelings – this is more frequent and severe in women.
- Swelling in the legs – this is also more noticeable in women.
- Symptoms that are not typical – women experience symptoms like anxiety, difficulty falling or staying asleep.
- Main differences – women are often wrongly diagnosed, as a result of atypical symptoms of heart disease. There are certain additional risk factors like menopause or hormonal changes. It is important to understand these differences for better diagnosis and suitable treatment. It is always advisable for women to undergo genetic testing to look for congenital conditions or inherited conditions. Advanced genetic testing facilities in Tamil Nadu, offer comprehensive results that help to confirm or rule out any genetic predisposition to heart disease
Help in understanding heart disease symptoms in Tamil
For people who may find it hard to understand the signs of heart disease explained in English, here is a transliteration of common symptoms:
- Chest Pain is known in Tamil as marbu vali.
- Weakness is known in Tamil as sorvu.
- Heartbeat changes are known in Tamil as idaya tudippu.
- Dizzy feeling is known in Tamil as mayakkam.
- Swelling is known in Tamil as veekkam.
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Education: Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai Experience: Agarwal is a seasoned pharmacist with over 7 years of experience in the pharmaceutical field. She has worked in various settings, including hospital pharmacies and community clinics, where she has excelled in medication management, patient counseling, and clinical support. Agarwal is known for her expertise in drug therapy optimization and patient safety. In addition to her practical experience, she contributes to health journalism, focusing on pharmaceutical advancements and health policy, and is involved in research projects aimed at improving medication practices and health outcomes. is known for her expertise in drug therapy optimization and patient safety. In addition to her practical experience, she contributes to health journalism, focusing on pharmaceutical advancements and health policy, and is involved in research projects aimed at improving medication practices and health outcomes.