Heart problems can make their presence known in many ways that aren’t always confined to your chest. And they may not feel like anything serious until a major cardiac event such as a heart attack. There are certain signs and symptoms that appear when something isn’t right with you heart, especially if you experience a few of them, not just one.
So, here‘s how your body may be telling you that your heart isn’t working well:
Chest pain and discomfort
Chest pain is one of the signs of a heart attack, especially if it’s also accompanied by feeling faint and other symptoms. The discomfort in the chest can be described as pressure, tightness, squeezing, or burning.
If you have chest pain only when you’re doing something active, and it goes away when you’re at rest, it’s probably not an emergency but a good reason to visit your doctor.
Pain that radiates to your arm and other body parts
During a heart attack, the pain may radiate to the arm (especially left arm), shoulder, back, neck, and jaw. If you have this kind of pain, and it came on suddenly and doesn’t go away, you should call the ambulance.
Digestive symptoms
Symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, indigestion, heartburn, and stomach pain, sometimes occur during a heart attack. Such symptoms are more common in women than in men.
Tiredness
It’s normal to feel tired after an intense workout or after a hard day at work. But if you feel exhausted after climbing a flight of stairs, it could be a sign of heart disease. Tiredness is a symptom of many conditions and isn’t always heart-related, so it’s important to let your doctor know if you constantly feel unusually tired.
Swollen legs, feet and ankles
As with other symptoms on the list, swelling of your lower extremities isn’t always a sign of a heart problem. But it’s one of the signs of heart failure, especially if appears together with other symptoms, such as fatigue and shortness of breath.
Sweating
If you suddenly start to sweat and feel anxious and nauseous, and if these symptoms are accompanied by shortness of breath, fatigue, and chest pain or discomfort, you need emergency medical attention. If such symptoms occur together, it can be a heart attack.
Dizziness and lightheadedness
It’s possible to feel slightly dizzy and lightheaded without a serious reason, such as when you skip a meal. But if you’re also short of breath and have pain or discomfort in your chest, get medical help immediately. A combination of such symptoms may be a sign that you heart isn’t pumping blood effectively.
