Heart disease symptoms

At Advocate Health Care, we’re well known for our expertise in heart disease diagnosis and treatment. We can help you learn which heart disease symptoms you may be having and what you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease. Many of the things that contribute to heart disease are related to lifestyle decisions, so the power to change them is in your hands.

Heart disease (cardiovascular disease) is a term that describes several conditions. Heart attack and coronary artery disease are the most common kinds of heart disease. And heart disease is the main killer of both men and women in the U.S. As a matter of fact, heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined.

Main symptoms of heart disease

The symptoms of heart disease are slightly different for different types of heart disease. These symptoms are among the most common:

• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
• Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
• Light-headedness, dizziness or fainting
• Swelling in your ankles, feet, legs or abdomen

Each kind of heart disease has its own set of symptoms and affects the heart differently. For example, vascular heart diseases affect blood vessels – the veins and arteries that carry blood throughout your body. So the symptoms of various kinds of vascular heart diseases happen all over your body, not just near your heart.

Chest pain is another common symptom of many types of heart disease. Extreme chest pain has been described as crushing pain – like “an elephant sitting on your chest.” On the other hand, chest pain associated with heart disease is sometimes confused with heartburn or indigestion. Some other ways people describe such chest pains are:

It may also be felt as referred pain, which means it’s felt in areas other than the chest such as the back, shoulders, arms, jaw, neck, throat or upper abdomen.

Heart attack symptoms

The classic image of a heart attack in movies and on TV is someone suddenly clutching at the left side of their chest and falling to the floor. But according to the American Heart Association, most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. And chest pain may come and go.

Just like people are different from one another, the symptoms they experience also differ. Other symptoms of heart attack can include shortness of breath, cold sweating, fatigue, nausea, dizziness and a rapid or irregular heartbeat (also called arrhythmia).

If you experience extreme chest pain or think you may be having a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Seeking immediate medical care can save your life and lessen the amount of damage to your heart.

Coronary artery disease symptoms

When you have coronary artery disease, the arteries that carry blood to your heart are blocked or narrowed. The blockage is usually caused by a buildup of plaque in your arteries. Over time, the arteries of your heart can’t pump enough blood. According to the CDC, about 1 in 14 people have coronary artery disease, and it’s the most common form of heart disease in the country.

It’s common to have coronary artery disease and not have any symptoms of coronary artery disease. Early signs may be chest pain, shortness of breath and heart palpitations.

Cardiomyopathy (diseased heart muscle) symptoms

Cardiomyopathy is related to problems with muscular or electrical functions of the heart. There are different kinds of cardiomyopathy.

You may not notice any symptoms of cardiomyopathy, especially in the beginning stages of the disease. As the disease gets worse, symptoms and heart function also get worse.

Unique symptoms of cardiomyopathy include fatigue, light-headedness and heart murmur. You may also have shortness of breath or trouble breathing, especially when lying down, after eating or with physical activity.

Valvular heart disease symptoms

Heart valve disease happens when any of the four valves in the heart is diseased or becomes damaged. It may be caused by infections, congenital conditions, valves wearing out with age or because of conditions related to other types of heart disease. About 1 in 40 people in the U.S. has some kind of heart valve disease. The rate is higher among older people.

The symptoms of valvular heart disease can start quickly or develop over a long time. The most common symptoms are arrhythmia or heart murmur. If valvular heart disease develops slowly, you may not have symptoms until it’s very advanced. When it comes on suddenly, you may have the usual symptoms of heart disease along with fatigue, shortness of breath, fever or rapid weight gain.

Peripheral artery disease symptoms

People may not experience symptoms initially with peripheral artery disease, which is a kind of vascular heart disease. The most common symptom is leg cramping that may go away with rest. Other leg symptoms include numbness, weakness, a reddish or bluish color, sores that don’t heal normally, or one leg that is cooler than the other. Toes can become cold or numb and can burn or ache when at rest.

Heart disease symptoms caused by heart defects

Congenital heart disease refers to heart defects that you are born with. Nowadays, these heart defects may be detected before or after birth. The survival rate from congenital heart disease is rising, leading to a larger number of children and adults who have or have had a congenital heart disease.

Some of the symptoms of congenital heart disease are blue-tinted nails or lips, sleepiness, shortness of breath and tiring quickly with exercise.

Risk factors for heart disease

The key risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and smoking. About half of people have at least one of these three risk factors.

High blood pressure (also called hypertension) and high blood cholesterol usually have no symptoms.

Women have some risk factors that aren’t often talked about, such as previous pregnancy complications or early menopause. For some women, using hormonal birth control can raise their risk of heart disease, particularly if they also smoke.

What to do about your symptoms

If you’re worried about your heart health or any symptoms you may have, check them out with your primary care physician.

Getting regular physical checkups allows your doctor to monitor your risks – such as weight and health conditions. They can also keep track of patterns that may become a problem, such as increasing blood pressure or increasing cholesterol levels.

Your doctor can counsel and consult with you about smoking, healthy diet, physical activity levels and alcohol use. When you work with your doctor, you can often reduce your symptoms and your risk of heart disease.

Advocate Health Care offers quick and inexpensive heart scans to find out if you are at risk of heart disease. Learn more about our $49 heart scans.