Heart disease and related cardiovascular diseases cause more deaths in the United States than any other health condition. In fact, about 1 in 3 deaths in the US is caused by cardiovascular problems.
You can significantly improve your chances of surviving a cardiac event by seeking medical attention as soon as possible. Recognizing the following five types of heart disease symptoms can tip you off to when you need to call for an ambulance.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of heart disease. The pain may come on suddenly while you’re active or resting. The discomfort can last from several minutes to a few hours. Many people describe the sensation as a tightness, burning, pinching or pressure.
Chest pains don’t necessarily mean you’re having a heart attack. Regardless, you should go to the hospital to avoid damage to your heart. You should also talk to Dr. Maribao about finding the underlying cause of your chest pain. You may find that you have a condition that’s treatable with medication or surgery.
Pain shooting down your left arm is another extremely common symptom of heart disease. Heart disease can also cause pain in other parts of the body, but they typically occur on the left side.
During a heart attack, people often experience pain in their left arms and chests. Don’t avoid the emergency room just because your chest feels OK, though. You can have a heart attack without experiencing any chest pain.
A wide range of things can cause nausea. You may feel nauseated while riding in a car or flying in a plane. Eating too much ice cream can cause indigestion.
Since indigestion and nausea have so many potential causes, a lot of people ignore the feelings. Don’t dismiss your stomach pains so quickly. They’re also common signs of heart disease, especially among women.
Even if heart disease isn’t causing your nausea, you should still talk to Dr. Maribao about it. You deserve to live a life free of frequent stomach problems.
Many people snore a little while they sleep. Loud snoring accompanied by gasping sounds, however, could mean that you have sleep apnea, a condition that makes you stop breathing for short intervals while you sleep. The gaps in your breath put a lot of stress on your heart and can contribute to heart disease.
If you suspect that you have sleep apnea, Dr. Maribao may want you to take a sleep study to diagnose the condition. In most cases, you can treat sleep apnea with a CPAP machine, which keeps your breathing consistent while you sleep. Dr. Maribao may also have some alternative treatments for you to try.
Subtle symptoms of heart disease often go unnoticed. You may think you just don’t feel well or perhaps you’re coming down with a cold. Fatigue is one of those symptoms that people often dismiss as “no big deal.”
Extreme fatigue is also a common symptom of heart disease. When your heart struggles to work, the effort can make you feel tired and slow.
If you have experienced any of these five types of heart disease symptoms, schedule an appointment with Dr. Maribao. He can use a variety of tests to determine the strength of your heart and cardiovascular system. By getting diagnosed now, you may avoid a serious cardiac event in the future.
