Heart problems develop steadily and left undetected until a severe occurrence such as a heart attack occurs. Heart diseases are often considered as silent killers and only have a few, indescribable symptoms.
Being familiar with the risk factors, blood pressure level and usual side effects can mean a difference between an early diagnosis and death. In case heart problems are detected early, the prognosis is usually good. In such cases, regular exercise and a healthy diet are usually enough but unable to detect these types of ailments can lead to fatal results.
Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath is often a primary sign of heart problems. This is true among those who are about to have a heart attack.
Remember though that not all experience shortness of breath even if they have issues with the heart. The severity of the condition varies and any of these signs might be misinterpreted.
Chest pain
Various heart-related ailments along with other diseases can result to a feeling of pressure or pain in the middle of the chest. Remember that this form of discomfort is often one of the initial signs of a heart attack and second most prevalent sign of heart problems.
The chest pain generally comes and goes and relatively milder once it arises. The pain can also radiate elsewhere in the body such as the shoulders, back, arms and jaw. Any discomfort in these areas that lasts more than 2 minutes is often a serious sign and must not be taken lightly.
Heart palpitations
A palpitation is a condition where the individual is unaware of his/her heartbeat. This is different from a pounding sensation one experiences after physical activity.
Those who have palpitations often describe the sensation as a fluttering, thumping feeling where the heart skips a beat or seems to work harder than usual.
Fatigue
Individuals with potential heart problems often experience tiredness. Even though it is common, it also results to issues with a diagnosis.
Even though most experience fatigue at some point, it is left unnoticed most of the time and how tired one feels tends to vary. Generally, feeling more and more tired as the day progresses, having heavy legs and reduced appetite are the warning signs and might possibly indicate a heart issue. If any of these are present, the doctor might suspect heart problems.