What are the easily identifiable signs of heart disease?
What are the easily identifiable signs of heart disease?
Introduction
Recent reports have appeared in the media of many famous personalities tragically passing way due to heart related disease. A common problem among many young fatalities in India is the failure to recognize signs of heart disease. A basic understanding of identifiable symptoms may have helped many families. Here is a look at some easy to understand information about recognizing identifiable symptoms. It is also a good idea to go if for genetic testing to look for future or lifetime risk of heart diseases due to genetic reasons. One of the reasons for heart disease is genetically inherited conditions and congenital conditions. With timely testing, it is possible to mitigate or reduce the effects of outcomes through treatment.
Common heart disease symptoms in men
While the symptoms and signs of heart disease in men may vary, certain symptoms are common, including the following:
- Pain in the chest or discomfort – this is typically experienced as a feeling of intense pressure, or squeezing sensation. Some feel full, and the pain can radiate to the arms, the back, the neck or stomach.
- Difficulty breathing – this is typically experienced as shortness of breath, mostly during physical exertion, or while lying in a flat position.
- Fatigue – abnormal, extreme tiredness with no relief after rest can be a sign of heart problems.
- Pain or discomfort – while pain in the chest is a known symptom, there could be pain experienced in other areas as well. This may spread to the shoulders, the arms or the upper back.
- Dizzy feelings – this is usually felt like a lightheaded feeling, or you may feel faint. This is due to reduced flow of blood to the heart.
- Palpitations – this is experienced like a fluttering sensation in the chest or pounding feeling, with irregular or rapid heartbeats.
- Vomiting – there is a possibility of patients having a heart attack to experience feelings of nausea.
- Sweating – this is typically cold and clammy to the touch, without any relatable reason.
- Swelling – may be observed in the feet, indicating possible heart failure
What are the signs and symptoms of rheumatic heart disease?
Depending on the severity and the affected heat valves, symptoms of rheumatic heart disease may vary. However, there are certain symptoms that are commonly experienced, as listed below:
- Pain in the chest – as a result of inflammation.
- Difficulty breathing – as a result of fluid buildup in the lungs.
- Overall tiredness – abnormal weakness affecting physical activity.
- Palpitations – experienced like a fluttering sensation.
Symptoms experienced when the Mitral valve is affected
- Mitral stenosis – difficulty breathing.
- Mitral regurgitation – fatigue, swelling in the feet, and difficulty breathing.
Symptoms experienced when the Aortic valve is affected
- Aortic stenosis – pain in the chest, dizzy feelings.
- Aortic regurgitation – abnormal tiredness, difficulty breathing, and irregular heartbeats.
It is important to be able to recognize or identify signs of heart disease to ensure that timely and effective treatment is rendered.
Which signs of rheumatic heart disease are critical?
Identification of symptoms of rheumatic heart disease are important to ensure treatment. However, it is essential to be able to recognize certain symptoms that clearly indicate a severe or life-threatening situation. Some of the critical signs that can indicate this include:
- Severe pain in the chest – this could be Intense or persistent in nature.
- Extreme breathlessness – experienced when lying flat, without any relief from typical measures indicates possible heart failure or valve damage.
- Swelling – in the legs or abdomen indicate fluid retention or heart failure.
- Dizzy feelings – experienced during physical activity, indicates valve dysfunction.
- Irregular heartbeats – that are persistent, along with other symptoms such as chest pain or difficulty breathing, indicate possible heart valve problems.
- Tiredness – abnormal fatigue that does not improve with rest may be an indication of heart dysfunction.
- Cyanosis – refers to bluish tint to skin or lips. This could be the result of lesser oxygenation and heart issues.
- Weight gain – this is due to fluid retention and indicates possible signs of heart disease and heart failure
What are the common heart disease pain areas?
One of the signs of heart disease is pain, most people assume that pain is experienced only in the heart. However, pain can occur in other areas of the body, as listed below:
- Chest – this is the most common area for heart disease pain, and explained earlier.
- Left arm – this may be experienced as radiating to the upper left arm, and could be felt like a dull ache, or at times like a sharp paining sensation.
- Back – pain may radiate to the upper back, and may be felt like some pressure or discomfort.
- Neck – pain may radiate to the back of the neck or the sides, and could be sharp or felt like a dull ache.
- Jaw – pain may be felt in the left side of the jaw, like a dull ache or pressure. This may often be wrongly assumed as dental pain.
- Stomach – pain may be experienced in the upper abdomen like pressure or discomfort.
- Shoulders – pain may spread to the left shoulder, and is felt like a dull ache.
What are the early signs of heart disease in females?
There are certain signs of heart disease in women that can be considered as early indicators of possible heart problems. By recognizing such symptoms, it is possible to identify the condition and take suitable remedial action. These signs may often be subtle or atypical to the signs commonly experienced by males, and include:
- Abnormal tiredness – fatigue that does not seem to reduce despite usual measures for relief.
- Breathlessness – could be difficulty breathing and may occur with minimal physical exertion, or even while resting.
- Pain or discomfort in the chest – this could be felt like some kind of pressure, or squeezing, or a dull ache. This may not be experienced as a sharp painful sensation.
- Pain in other areas – this may radiate to the back, the shoulders, or neck, and arms. Women are also known to experience pain in the abdomen.
- Nausea – experiencing vomiting, which can be associated with heart disease, especially if accompanied by other symptoms like chest discomfort.
- Dizzy feelings – a faint, or lightheaded feeling, after limited physical activity or even while resting, may indicate lesser flow of blood.
- Sweating – this could be profuse, and is mostly cold and clammy to the touch, and occurs without any physical activity. This is mostly experienced with other symptoms such as chest pain.
- Swelling – in the legs, can be attributed to fluid buildup or heart failure.
- Sleep – may be disturbed, and the person may suddenly wake up as a result of breathlessness.
- Heartburn – indigestion or any abdominal discomfort can sometimes be wrongly attributed to gastrointestinal problems, but may be due to heart disease.
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Shetty B s a cardiologist in Chennai, with extensive experience in the field. He completed his MBBS from Madurai Kamaraj University, followed by an MD in General Medicine and a DM in Cardiology from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University (TNMGRMU).