Heart disease can often be masked by mild malaise, pain and general weakness. Mortality in the world from a sudden stop of a vital organ, according to WHO, can reach about 7 million people a year. This article helps to understand what signs may indicate cardiovascular diseases and signal a possible heart failure. The symptoms listed below are related to cardiovascular diseases and which may ultimately lead to aortic rupture, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary embolism, coronary heart disease, vascular disease, varicose veins of the lower extremities and other diseases. In acute coronary syndrome, the blood supply is disrupted or completely stopped. In this case, oxygen does not enter the heart muscle in a certain area, which can lead not only to a heart attack but also to death.
15 signs that you should visit a cardiologist
- Chest discomfort. Symptoms of cardiovascular disease are not always pains. Often a person can not understand what worries him or her. Some people complain of tightness in the chest or pressure, while others are plagued by tingling, a slight burning sensation or the inability to take a deep breath. Doctors advise not to hope that the discomfort “will go away” but to make an appointment with a doctor, undergo an ultrasound and an electrocardiogram;
- Chest pain. The most obvious symptom of heart disease, according to the doctor, is chest pain on the left side. By the nature of this pain is pressing or constricting, the patient may feel heaviness or lack of air. Such an attack often lasts more than 10 minutes. There is no reason to guess here – in 90 percent of cases, the heart signals a malfunction;
- Pain in the arms and legs. Pain that radiates to the left shoulder, left, or both hands at once are one of the unobvious signs of heart problems. You should be examined by a cardiologist if it is not possible to accurately identify the focus of pain. Cramps and pain while walking in the calf can be a sign of peripheral vascular disease of the leg arteries. And if you have problems with the vessels of the legs, you need to check the heart;
- Pain in the lower jaw. If the lower jaw periodically hurts, teeth are aching, there is no caries, and the dentist cannot explain the reason – do not blame him or her for unprofessionalism. Perhaps you just caught a little cold and there is no reason for concern. But it will be useful to visit a cardiologist. It also happens that pain in the lower jaw and teeth are signs of heart disease;
- Sweating. The body, throwing a fair amount of adrenaline into the blood, makes the heart beat faster, and the vessels work with tripled strength. As a result, profuse sweating can begin. Sweating is not scary by itself. But if you have pain with a pronounced weakness, go through the examination. In some cases, sweating is not related to heart disease but sometimes it is a signal that the heart rhythm is impaired;
- Pressure surges. Pressure surges can be short-term or permanent. With constant pressure surges, there is a big risk of stroke, and you need to see a doctor as soon as possible;
- Confusion and distraction. Because of arrhythmia, when the heart beats too fast or too slowly, people often experience distraction and difficulty concentrating. Pressure drops, the brain does not get enough blood, confusion occurs;
- Fainting and darkening in the eyes. Fainting or darkening in the eyes occurs for various reasons but the common cause is usually a sudden decrease in blood pressure, which in turn leads to a reduction in blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain. Also, fainting may be the result of too fast or slow heartbeats, dysfunctions of the heart muscle or heart valves;
- Pale or bluish skin. Skin discoloration can also be a symptom of cardiovascular disease. In case of a circulatory disturbance, parts of the body removed from the heart, namely fingers and toes, a tip of the nose, lips, auricles, may have a bluish tint. This indicates an excess of hemoglobin in the blood. A sign of heart problems can also be very pale and cold skin, especially on the face. Since there is an outflow of blood and spasms of blood vessels in the skin;
- Lack of air or shortness of breath. The heart delivers blood to organs and tissues. If the heart does not transport enough blood (that is, heart failure occurs), fluid accumulates in the lungs, gas exchange worsens, and pulmonary edema occurs. Pulmonary edema just causes shortness of breath, which is often accompanied by a sensation of suffocation, lack of air or heaviness in the chest;
- Nausea and vomiting. Changes in the frequency and rhythm of breathing, increased salivation, increased heart rate and heart pain provoke nausea and vomiting;
- Pain under the scapula and in the neck. Pain under the scapula, between the shoulder blades or in the left subscapular region, as well as in the neck, are also non-obvious signs of heart disease. There is necrosis of the myocardial muscles, the blood supply is deteriorating;
- Migraine and headaches. Migraine and headaches can be caused by problems with blood circulation.Do not postpone a visit to the cardiologist;
- Loud snoring – night apnea – can also be a sign of serious heart problems. Apnea is a short-term respiratory arrest during sleep, which has a bad effect on the cardiovascular system: hypoxia of the heart muscle may begin or hypertension (high blood pressure) may develop;
- Weakness and fatigue. A weak heart cannot provide full blood circulation. Because of this, organs and tissues begin to experience a deficiency of nutrients and oxygen. In order to survive, the body reduces the blood supply to less important organs, primarily the limbs, and directs blood to the more important – the heart, brain, lungs. As a result, a person quickly gets tired and weak.
With this clinical picture, the patient urgently needs first aid and emergency medical attention. The patient should never be left alone, especially he or she has nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness. One of the common causes may be acute coronary syndrome. Separately, the specialist noted factors that can cause heart diseases: obesity or high cholesterol in the blood, excessive consumption of fatty foods, tobacco abuse in any form (from smoking to chewing), high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, frequent emotional stress or such features character like aggression, irritability, impatience.