11 Silent Signs of Heart Trouble You Shouldn’t Ignore
Updated: Sep. 02, 2019
Can’t finish that one-mile run anymore? It could be your heart.
Signs of heart trouble: You get easily fatigued doing any physical activity
If you usually run a mile every day with ease but suddenly aren’t able to (you may feel overcome by a severe flu-like fatigue), that may be a sign your heart is not pumping enough blood throughout your body. “Activities that used to be easy and now are suddenly met with new difficulty can be a red flag that something is wrong,” says Erin Michos, MD, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology and associate director of preventive cardiology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland. If a good night’s sleep doesn’t fix your overwhelming exhaustion, make an appointment with your doctor right away.
Signs of heart trouble: You’re having sexual problems in the bedroom
Erectile dysfunction is one of the classic warning signs of heart trouble that you may be at risk for heart disease. Anxiety, depression, and stress can also inhibit your ability to get intimate with your partner, but your bedroom troubles could also stem from blocked arteries in the heart, which prevent blood from flowing properly to your penis. Vascular erectile dysfunction is the most common type of sexual dysfunction and is often caused by two kinds of diseases—atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction. Atherosclerosis causes the arteries to harden and narrow, causing heart attacks and strokes. Endothelial dysfunction prevents your blood vessels from relaxing properly, which decreases blood flow throughout your body. “Erectile dysfunction symptoms often precede the onset of heart symptoms by at least two years,” says Dr. Michos. “The detection of erectile dysfunction offers a window to intervene and stop cardiac disease in its tracks.” Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, and lack of an exercise regime are also risk factors for heart disease. Here are 10 pains you should never, ever ignore.
Signs of heart trouble: You suffer from high blood pressure
A high blood pressure diagnosis could increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, or heart disease. If you don’t lower those numbers, it could damage your arteries and cause plaque to build up around your artery walls down the line, which slowly blocks blood flow. When your blood is constantly pushing against your blood vessels at a high rate, it forces your heart and blood vessels to work harder and less efficiently. “People intuitively think that they’re going to know that they have high blood pressure, but a lot of times that only comes when the blood pressure is remarkably high,” says Lawrence Phillips, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine and director of the Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. “I encourage everyone to get their blood pressure checked because blood pressure is one of the most modifiable risks.” Start eating more of these foods that can lower your blood pressure.
Signs of heart trouble: You have a sudden persistent cough
Don’t let frequent coughing fits fool you into thinking it’s just another nasty cold. If cough suppressants don’t do the trick, it could be one of the signs of heart trouble. “Sometimes when there is fluid in the lungs from congestive heart failure, one can have wheezing and a cough, which can mimic asthma or lung disease when it really is a cardiac problem,” says Dr. Michos. Fluid starts to accumulate in your lungs when your heart isn’t pumping blood properly, which backs up your blood vessels and causes fluid to leak into unusual places like your lungs. An unhealthy heart could also be the culprit behind chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an umbrella term for progressive lung diseases that make it hard for you to breathe. Here are more secrets cardiologists want you to know.
Signs of heart trouble: You have trouble breathing in your sleep
Obstructive sleep apnea often causes people to wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air, which has been linked to a higher risk of heart attacks or atrial fibrillation, a heart arrhythmia. As sleep apnea patients sleep, their oxygen levels fall and their body freaks out and tells their blood vessels to tighten up to increase oxygen flow to the heart and brain, causing that shortness of breath. “You always have to think about your heart,” says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, attending cardiologist and director of Women’s Heart Health at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “Go to your doctor and get checked. Get your blood pressure checked. Get blood tests and, under some circumstances, a stress test.” People with sleep apnea are often also at risk for high blood pressure, another unhealthy heart symptom. These are the supplements heart doctors take everyday.
Signs of heart trouble: You have no hair on your legs
Hairless legs could mean that your legs lack oxygen because your arteries are narrowed, which reduces your blood flow. Without that nutrient-rich blood, your hair follicles can’t grow. “With peripheral arterial disease (PAD), you can get hair loss or slow hair growth on their legs due to poor circulation,” says Dr. Michos. Your best bet is to visit with your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis so you can remedy your recent bout of hair loss. Here’s what doctors do to lower their cholesterol.
Signs of heart trouble: Your feet and legs are swollen
If you notice that you’re having trouble squeezing your feet into your shoes before work or that your socks are a bit snug, it may be one of the signs of a heart trouble. When your heart isn’t pumping blood efficiently, your veins get backed up and end up pushing excess fluid into your body tissues, causing body parts like your feet, legs, abdomen, and even your scrotum to swell. If you feel bloated in unusual places, try pressing on your skin. If it leaves a pitted indent, like a dimple, in your skin, that means your tissues are harboring excess fluid and you should see a doctor. And try to clean up your diet with the eight easy swaps.
Signs of heart trouble: You suffer from neck or jaw pain
Most people assume that chest pain is the first sign of heart trouble, but the reality is that heart symptoms can manifest in other parts of the body. “Women compared to men are more likely to have these ‘atypical symptoms’ that can often lead to their heart pain being unrecognized and untreated,” says Dr. Michos. “It is important to know that warning signs of an unhealthy heart do not always manifest as chest pain.” Neck or jaw pain could be a sign of angina, an underlying heart problem that occurs when your heart lacks oxygen-rich blood. Angina may feel like a constricted pressure or squeezing in your chest but could also radiate to other parts of your body like the neck, jaw, back, or shoulders. Make sure you know these facts about heart disease — it could save your life.
Signs of heart trouble: You suffer from a shortness of breath
If you find yourself running or climbing the stairs and feeling unusually winded, that’s usually one of the warning signs of heart trouble. “The biggest thing I tell people first is to develop a knowledge of their own risk in their body,” says Dr. Phillips. “They should know what’s normal for them so they can know when something is different from their normal.” Ask your doctor to conduct a thorough health evaluation. It’s best to be proactive about your heart health now and learn how to reduce your risk of a cardiac arrest in the future. Don’t miss these signs your heart palpitations could be something way worse.
Signs of heart trouble: Your gums are swollen
People with gum disease often suffer from swollen gums caused by inflammation, and inflammation in the body can lead to increased risk of heart attack. “People who have periodontal disease in their body often have a high level of inflammation,” says Dr. Michos. “Inflammation can trigger inflammation throughout the body.”
Signs of heart trouble: You have heart palpitations
Any heart that beats rapidly or skips a beat could be a sign that your cardiovascular system is “off beat.” Arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat condition that may cause heart disease later on if it’s not treated properly. “If your heart is really weak, it can cause heart rhythm disturbances,” says Stephanie Coulter, MD, director at the Center for Women’s Heart and Vascular Health at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas. “A rapid heartbeat or irregular heartbeat may be a sign that you have a bad valve.” If your heart flutters, see your doctor; they’ll run an EKG test to measure your heartbeat and the electrical activity of your heart or a stress test to diagnose the problem. Call 911 if you notice any of these silent signs of a heart attack.
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