Warning signs of heart disease

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Extract from the article: Heart attack, heart failure, palpitations, angina pectoris. Whether they affect the heart, lungs or even legs, these symptoms should not be taken lightly.

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Heart attack, heart failure, palpitations, angina pectoris. Whether they affect the heart, lungs or even legs, these symptoms should not be taken lightly.

The earlier heart disease is detected, the more likely it is to be treated in time. The first symptoms should never be taken lightly, as they often have very serious consequences.

Unexplained fatigue: low cardiac output sometimes to blame

Why can fatigue be a sign of a heart problem? General fatigue may be caused by low cardiac output, itself linked to angina pectoris or a blocked coronary artery. Angina pectoris is a symptom of narrowing of the heart's arteries, resulting in a reduction in the blood supply needed for the heart to function properly. If the fatigue is associated with breathlessness, weight gain and oedema in the lower limbs, it may be heart failure. Consult your cardiologist.

Chest pain: a typical symptom in men

In men, chest pain is a typical sign of angina pectoris, a symptom of narrowing of the arteries of the heart leading to a reduction in the blood supply needed for the heart to function. The pain feels like a vice-like grip around the chest, reaching up to the jaws and into the left arm.Sudden chest pain is an emergency requiring hospitalisation. Treatment must be immediate and appropriate.

Warning : While this symptom is characteristic of men aged around 50 or 60, the sign of angina pectoris is much harder to recognise in women.Women tend to experience chest discomfort, nausea, back or stomach pain or tiredness accompanied by malaise.In this case, you should consult a cardiologist.

Palpitations: watch out for atrial fibrillation

Palpitations are a sensation of the heart racing or beating too hard, too fast or irregularly.In the vast majority of cases, palpitations are a symptom of anxiety.If the palpitations last for several minutes or even a few hours, it's best to have a cardiac check-up.This will reveal whether the palpitations are a symptom of atrial fibrillation, a disorganised contraction of the heart's atria. An anticoagulant treatment should then be introduced to prevent the risk of stroke, which increases with this condition.

Palpitations can also be a warning sign of a pulmonary embolism if they are associated with difficulty breathing, the presence of a painful spot in the chest and there is a triggering factor such as phlebitis in the lower limbs.

Shortness of breath: a sign of heart failure

Shortness of breath, if associated with weight gain, oedema in the lower limbs and fatigue, is a sign of heart failure.Heart failure is a disease of the heart that occurs when the heart is no longer able to provide sufficient blood flow to cover the body's needs.Symptoms first appear during exercise, then at rest as the condition worsens.Shortness of breath can also indicate angina pectoris or a problem with a blocked coronary artery.In these cases, the lungs have less blood flow, making it harder to breathe. Don't hesitate to consult a doctor, particularly a cardiologist.

Syncope: beware of heart attack

Syncope is a sudden loss of consciousness.Syncope can have either neurological or cardiac causes.And cardiac causes are potentially severe, since syncope can reveal a myocardial infarction.There are also other cardiac causes: syncope can be due to severe coronary disease, a cardiac conduction disorder or a ventricular rhythm disorder.A cardiac conduction disorder, which corresponds to a problem with the transmission of nerve impulses in the heart, will require appropriate treatment.A ventricular rhythm disorder, on the other hand, is equivalent to a disorganisation in the activity of the heart's ventricles, and in the worst cases will require removal of the cardiac conduction pathways, i.e. the cardiac tissues that conduct the nerve impulses within the heart.

Oedema: a possible cardiac cause

Oedema is swelling due to an unusual accumulation of fluid in a tissue of the human body.Oedema in the lower limbs, i.e. the feet or legs, may be linked to heart failure if it is associated with shortness of breath, weight gain and unexplained tiredness.Oedema can also be a sign of a venous problem, a kidney disorder or a liver disorder.Edema can sometimes be iatrogenic, i.e. caused by certain medications.In the event of oedema, consult your doctor: he or she will carry out diagnostic tests to identify and treat the cause.

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Source: ‘medisite