Introduction:
The heart is an important organ in the human body. It is fist-sized and pumps blood throughout the body. Its main function is to control heart rate and blood pressure. Many conditions are associated with the heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Hence, heart symptoms should not be ignored.
What Are Heart Diseases?
The heart is an important organ; any associated condition is called heart disease. Heart disease affects the cardiovascular system. Different types of heart diseases are associated with the heart, affecting the heart and the blood vessels in different ways.
In the United States, 1 in 4 deaths is considered due to heart disease. It may be seen without differentiating gender, race, and ethnic groups.
Heart diseases include,
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Arrhythmias.
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Congenital heart defects.
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Diseases related to heart muscles.
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Diseases related to heart valves.
These heart diseases sometimes remain silent and cannot be diagnosed until severe symptoms like heart attack, heart failure, or arrhythmias (condition with irregular heartbeats) appear.
What Are the Risk Factors for Heart Disease?
The key risk factors of heart disease include
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High blood pressure.
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High cholesterol.
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Smoking habit.
Apart from these, other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can be risk factors for heart disease.
Some risk factors include,
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Having diabetes.
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Being obese.
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Having an unhealthy diet.
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Not being physically active.
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Excessive consumption of alcohol.
What Are the Heart Symptoms That Should Not Be Ignored?
Many heart diseases tend to cause severe problems, and even death may occur in many cases. The related symptoms are not even shown, and they do not occur in the chest. Hence, knowing about the symptoms that should not be ignored becomes important. If the individual has risk factors, they should always get their heart checked despite not having any related symptoms. The symptoms not to be ignored include,
Chest Pain or Discomfort: This type of pain occurs between the neck and the upper abdomen. Chest pain need not always be related to the heart, but other types of pain may not be related to the heart.
Chest pain is considered to be the most common symptom. This may indicate poor blood flow to the heart. It may also indicate a heart attack or angina. The reason for the chest pain includes not getting enough blood or oxygen supply to the heart.
The experience of pain may be different from one to another. The intensity of the pain does not indicate the severity of the problem. Some individuals may feel a crushing type of pain, while others may experience mild pain.
The pain may be heavy, like the feeling of someone squeezing the heart or chest, and it may be a sharp, burning pain in the chest. Pain may be observed beneath the breastbone (sternum), or in the neck, jaw, arms, stomach, or upper back. The chest pain occurs with emotion or activity. It may go off with rest or nitroglycerine-like medications. Another reason may be indigestion, which causes chest pain. Some may feel like the elephant is sitting on them, and others may experience pinching or burning.
Some may not have chest pain, and they may exhibit other symptoms like
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Weakness.
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Shortness of breath.
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Change in the color of the skin.
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Feel extreme anxiety.
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Experience loss of consciousness.
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Lightheadedness.
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Nausea and vomiting.
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Experience irregular and fast heartbeats.
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Experience heavy sweating.
Shortness of Breath: Shortness of breath indicates heart failure. This happens when the heart cannot pump blood as much as it can. The blood backs up in the veins, which must go from the lungs to the heart. The fluid leaks into the lungs and becomes responsible for shortness of breath.
Nausea: Heartburn, nausea, and stomach pain may occur during a heart attack. But these symptoms may also be seen when stomach upset occurs due to some food that an individual ate. Apart from these, if other heart-related symptoms are present, the doctor should look into these matters.
The pain that spreads to the arm should not be neglected. The pain may radiate down the left side of the body. Some may experience pain radiating from the chest, but others may experience only arm pain in the case of a heart attack.
Lightheadedness: Lightheadedness or dizziness may be caused by many reasons. When lightheadedness or dizziness accompanies chest discomfort or shortness of breath, medical help should be taken immediately.
Throat or Jaw Pain: Throat or jaw pain may be due to other reasons, but when the pain originates from the chest and spreads to the throat or jaw, it may indicate a heart attack. Hence, medical help is to be sought immediately to differentiate and manage the pain.
Fatigue: When an individual gets exhausted easily while doing work like climbing the stairs or any other work that is winded early, it indicates that the heart is not functioning properly. Extreme exhaustion and weakness, seen especially among women, for days at a time may indicate heart disease.
Snoring: Snoring during sleep may be considered sleep apnea, especially for those who experience loud snoring that appears like gasping or choking. When an individual stops breathing for a brief moment while the person is still sleeping, it may exert extra pressure or stress on the heart.
When a person experiences breaking out a cold sweat for no reason, it may give signs of a heart attack. Hence, medical help should be taken immediately.
Coughing or Wheezing: A cough that is present for a long time and may not always be related to heart disease. If the person knows about heart disease, special attention should be given. If the cough is long and the mucus produced is pink or white, it may indicate heart disease. In such cases, the blood may leak back into the lungs.
Swelling of Legs: When the legs, feet, and ankles get swollen, it may indicate that the heart does not pump enough blood. When the heart cannot pump sufficient blood, it may cause the blood to back up in the veins and cause bloating. Heart failure may make the kidney function harder to remove the extra water and sodium from the body.
Irregular Heartbeat: If an individual has palpitations, that is, an irregular heartbeat, and if this accompanies lightheadedness, pain in the chest, or shortness of breath, then medical help should be sought immediately.
Decreased Blood Supply: Poor blood supply to the legs may lead to achiness, numbness, and a burning sensation in the legs.
Stroke: Stroke may occur when the blood supply is stopped in the part of the brain. The symptoms may include losing sensation on one side of the body.
Conclusion:
The heart is very important for the functioning of other body parts. The health of this organ is most important for carrying out most of its functions. Hence, it becomes important to know about the heart, its diseases, and the signs and symptoms that should not be ignored. These signs and symptoms should be considered serious, and actions should be taken without wasting time.
