12 Problems Which May be a Sign Of Heart Disease

Heart diseases are quite common these days due to changing lifestyle and unhealthy habits in a considerable population. Even in first world countries with magnificent health facilities and advanced medical research, like the United States, a Heart attack is the cause of 1 in every four deaths. It is not only essential but becomes mandatory to have a close watch on signs of heart disease if you have a family history of heart disorders, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, a smoker and certain other risk factors. In most cases, heart diseases are growing silently, and the person does not know about it until he got a heart attack or a stroke. It is not necessary that you are holding your chest and fall on the floor and cannot do anything as it is too late.

There are few signs of heart disease that should be closely monitored to know that God forbid you are suffering from heart disease. Knowing the signs can help you to take preventive measures like lifestyle changes allowing you to avoid deadly heart disease. Read the article below to find out the signs that might be pointing to a heart problem.

Chest Discomfort

It’s the most prevailing sign of heart disease. If you have a blocked artery or already had had a heart attack, you may feel pain, tightness, or pressure in your chest. The feelings are different in every patient. Some feel a considerable burden on the chest while others feel as punching or burning in the chest.
The pain remains there for a few minutes. If the pain appears by pressing or touching heart, it may not be your heart.
But chest pain is an alarming sign of heart disease, so it’s better to report at emergency medical help.

Sleep Apnoea

Another sign of heart disease is sleep apnoea in which snoring breaks up by pauses in your breathing. It results in decreased supply of oxygen, sending signals to your blood vessels and heart to work harder to keep the circulation of blood. This raises the risk of high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, strokes, and heart failure. This sleep disorder is treatable.

Strength of your Grip

The strength of your hand may help determine the power of your heart. Research suggests that good grip strength and ability to squeeze an object is associated with a diminished risk of heart disease. If it’s challenging for you to grip an object, chances are reasonably high that you have a heart problem or could develop it in the later years.
Although improving grip strength alone has nothing to do with improving heart hearth.

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Dark spots under Toes

The developing of dark spots and specs under the nails of fingers and toes without physically hurting them can be a sign of heart disease. It may be due to poor circulation of oxygen-rich blood, often due to a heart defect or born with or narrowed or blocked blood vessels. The developing specs point to the infection in the lining of the heart, a condition known as endocarditis.
People with diabetes also develop these dark spots and are two to four times more at risk of having a heart attack or stroke. A lacy, mottled, purple pattern shows up bloody splotches just under the skin or on the palms and the feet soles when you have endocarditis.

Light-Headedness

Light-headedness is often a prime result of something wrong with your heart because it isn’t pumping required blood to your brain. Dizziness or lightheadedness could be a sign of heart disease such as of an abnormal rhythm, called an arrhythmia or weakening of the heart muscles, causing difficulty in enough blood supply and making you feel unsteady. Feeling dizzy is one of the many lesser-known signs of a heart attack, too.

Bleeding gums

Researches do not understand the relation between gum disease and heart diseases. But various studies are also there to show a link between two. The studies narrate that bleeding, swollen or tender gums can be a sign of heart disease. A theory suggests that bacteria from the inflammatory or bleeding gums enters the bloodstream and sets off inflammation in the heart. The gum disease is not related to tooth loss but can also lead to heart problems or even stroke.

Swollen Ankles

It results when you stand or sit for a long time, but it can be a leading sign of heart disease. Fluid build-up can stem from heart failure or decreased blood circulation in your legs. Swollen legs, feet or ankles can result from a clot that’s blocking the backflow or return of blood from your lower limbs to your heart. It is advisable never to ignore this sign and Call your doctor right away if swelling comes on suddenly or repetitively over a few days.

Erectile Dysfunction

Some problems in the bedroom could be a sign that you might have heart disease and at an elevated risk for a heart attack or stroke. Men with erectile dysfunction could have circulation problems related to high blood pressure or narrow arteries due to build-up of cholesterol deposits in the body. It is better to have a check-up and make sure that it is not pointing towards your cardiac health.

Random Bouts Of Cold Sweats

Do not think that just because you are sweating, it means that you are suffering from heart disease. Sweating is a natural mechanism of the body to cool it. However, unusual cold sweats without doing any physical activity, particularly when there’s chest pain associated with it may be a sign of heart disease. The sweat may be a body respond to cool down the inflammation around the heart.

Persistent Cough

A persistent cough is not perpetually a sign of heart disease because it’s a common symptom of many common illnesses like a cold or the flu. A persistent cough without any apparent condition can be related to fluid building up in your lungs, which is a sign of congestive heart failure.
“When the heart is not able to pump efficiently, blood can back up into the veins that take blood through the lungs,” The Mediline Plus said. “As the pressure in these blood vessels increases, fluid is pushed into the air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs.” The cough results due to irritation and fluid in the lungs, which can give you shortness of breath.

Breathlessness

The American Heart Association states that shortness of breath is a sign of heart failure. The AHA described situations in which you can have shortness of breath as a sign of heart disease are

• breathlessness during activity (most commonly), at rest, while sleeping, causing you to wake up suddenly.
• Difficulty in breathing while lying flat.
• waking up feeling tired or restless even after a long sleeping hours

The shortness of breath is a sign of heart disease caused by an unhealthy heart affecting blood vessels and spreading the problem to the lungs.

Feeling Tired

Feeling tired after a long day of work is pretty standard for everyone. However, unusual fatigue or feeling of tiredness may be a sign of heart disease. Professor Newby says: “Many of my patients tell me they’re tired, whether they’ve got heart failure or not, whether they’ve got angina or not! It’s a difficult one, because it’s so non-specific.”

Wherewith can you prevent complications from a Heart Disease?  

A heart attack or a circulatory disease is life-threatening. The heart diseases can be a result of a destructive lifestyle, and like certain other conditions, heart diseases can be prevented by changing the lifestyle. Some of the precautionary measures a person can take are  

• Not smoking 
• Eating a balanced diet 
• Exercise 
• Good and adequate sleep 
• Control of diabetes 
• Reduce intake of Alcohol 
• Maintain Cholesterol levels in the body 
• Maintain healthily we get 
• Learn to manage stress and anxiety 
• Maintaining normal blood pressure

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