Symptoms that Your Heart Isn’t Working Like It Should

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Heart and Circulatory System

Symptoms that Your Heart Isn’t Working Like It Should

January 10, 2023

Heart disease is responsible for approximately one‑third of deaths worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Getting immediate medical attention can save you, but not all heart problems start with sudden chest pain, and not all people have the same symptoms. Find out the main warning signs below.

There are some symptoms that can indicate that your heart isn’t working like it should. Keep these symptoms in mind to prevent possible complications, especially if you have any risk factors for heart disease, such as being over 65, smoking, family history, obesity, cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes:

Chest pain has many causes that have nothing to do with your heart, but it’s still the most common and obvious symptom of insufficient blood flow. You may feel uncomfortable or painful pressure, tightness, and fullness that can last several minutes or repeatedly go away and come back.

The second‑most well‑known sign is pain in an arm, but you might also experience pain in both arms or in your back, neck, jaw, and stomach. Other common indicators of a heart problem are pain in the legs or pain caused by swelling (edema).

Tiredness can have many causes. Oftentimes, it just means that you need more rest. But many specialists agree that this symptom can indicate a heart problem, and it’s more commonly seen in women, who may feel tired for no reason. Lack of energy can also be accompanied by weakness and difficulty falling asleep.

Desire to vomit, mild lightheadedness, dizziness, and cold sweats that appear suddenly are common symptoms of physical discomfort. However, these are also some of the main warning signs of heart disease, according to various studies that looked at its symptoms.

Shortness of breath is a sign of a possible heart attack, regardless of whether you’re experiencing other discomfort. Another characteristic sign is cough or wheezing that won’t go away, indicating that fluid is building up in the lungs. Coughing up pink or bloody phlegm might also occur.

Intense anxiety can be a symptom of heart attack. It can be accompanied by panic attacks, palpitations, dizziness, and trembling in the hands.

Again, this symptom occurs more frequently in women. Jaw pain can be accompanied by swelling of the face.

This sign can appear before or at the same time as chest pain. According to experts, this symptom is more common in women, as they are more likely than men to experience difficulty breathing.

This more obvious symptom can be felt when the heart has problems maintaining heart rhythm. Therefore, the heart starts to beat faster, resulting in pounding and racing heartbeats that try to keep the heart rate stable. This condition is known as arrythmia.

If you experience any of these symptoms, even if they might be a sign of another condition, don’t ignore it. Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Prevention and timely treatment are key to reducing the effects of heart problems.

American Heart Association; National Library of Medicine; Mayo Clinic; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; World Health Organization.

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