How to understand what is wrong with the heart. Presence of heart problems and their symptoms. Pain and discomfort in the chest

Health

Don't ignore these signs. They may indicate that your heart is not working properly.

Heart disease is one of the most common in the world and is one of the most common causes of death.

Very often, the body gives signals that something is not right with you. Here it is important not to miss the clues indicating heart problems.

A weak heart is a heart that is not pumping blood as efficiently. Unfortunately, a person may not notice the symptoms for a long time, and discovers the problem too late.

What signs can indicate weakness of the heart or heart failure?

Heart failure symptoms

One of the most common signs of heart failure is fatigue.

If you have a weak heart, we may feel tired even when you are resting at home. When you walk and go about your daily activities, you may feel even more exhausted.

One of the reasons why people with heart failure feel constantly tired is circulation problems.

A weak heart cannot pump blood efficiently to all the organs and muscles of the body. They do not get enough nutrition and oxygen, hence the fatigue.

The average person can walk in fast pace 20 minutes without taking a breath.

Someone with a weak heart can walk without panting for less than 10 minutes.

Shortness of breath, especially if you wake up in the middle of the night, should alert you. In medicine, this phenomenon is called paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea and is a classic symptom of a weak heart.

With a weak heart in a person, blood circulation to the periphery of the body is disturbed. Fluids begin to seep and accumulate under the skin, especially on the legs. This is due to the fact that gravity pulls the liquid down.

Edema is usually seen in both legs. It may disappear in the morning and reappear in the evening.

By itself, a small swelling of the legs is not dangerous. But if the condition worsens and the swelling increases, walking may be difficult. Edema is usually treated with diuretics, which remove excess fluid from the body.

Fluid accumulation may not be limited to the legs. Fluid can also accumulate in the lungs, which can cause difficulty breathing and coughing.

This cough can be persistent and annoying. Some people notice that the cough comes on during the day, while others only get it when they lie down.

Sometimes coughing may be accompanied by the release of pink frothy mucus. You should also pay attention to wheezing, which is often mistaken for an allergic cough.

In any case, if you have a long persistent cough, this is already a reason to see a doctor.

Signs of heart failure

A person with a weak heart often loses appetite or interest in food. The explanation may be due to the fact that the fluid in the abdomen gives a feeling of fullness and interferes with normal digestion.

It is worth noting that loss of appetite does not always indicate a weak heart and there are many other diseases that are characterized by poor appetite.

When the heart is not working properly, men most often experience pain in the left arm, while women may experience pain in one or both arms. What's more, many women have reported unusual shoulder pain shortly before a heart attack.

This is due to the fact that heart pain spreads along the spinal cord, where pain receptors and many other nerve endings are located. The brain can confuse these sensations and cause pain in one or both hands.

Several studies have shown that people who suffer from anxiety from an early age are more likely to develop coronary heart disease.

Anxiety itself can be a symptom of many diseases and arise from stress, frequent panic attacks, severe phobias, and other disorders.

Constant anxiety can lead to tachycardia and high blood pressure, which eventually leads to coronary heart disease.

It is worth noting that people who have pale skin from birth do not necessarily suffer from heart disease.

However, if the skin has become unusually pale, this may indicate a decrease in blood flow due to the weakness of the heart, which is not able to properly pump blood around the body. Tissues, not receiving sufficient blood supply, lose their color.

Often a person may turn pale due to shock, which occurs when there is insufficient blood circulation. It is for this reason that people suffering from a heart attack or heart failure turn pale.

People who suffer from eczema or shingles have an increased risk of developing heart disease.

So, the researchers found that patients with eczema in 48% of cases suffered from hypertension, and in 29% of cases from high cholesterol. At the same time, shingles increases the risk of heart attack by 59%.

An increased heart rate often indicates a weak heart. This is due to the fact that the heart works with all its might, which further wears out the heart muscle.

Imagine a horse pulling a cart. If the horse is weak and fragile, he will be able to pull the cart to the maximum of his abilities, but for a short distance, and after that his strength will run out.

The same can happen with a weak heart, which is why it is so important to see a doctor in time for timely treatment.

Check how your heart works

Ecology, not proper nutrition, bad habits, daily stresses, the rapid pace of modern life and the lack of proper rest wear out the heart.

Not surprisingly, the incidence of heart disease is increasing every year. Moreover, it is the pathology of the heart that ranks first among the causes of death.

At the same time, many heart problems can be avoided if they are diagnosed in time. And for this it is important not to miss those first "bells" that will tell us that the heart is working for wear and tear. They will be discussed further.

1. Prolonged cough

In most cases, coughing is one of the symptoms of a cold or flu. But if the cough does not go away within a month, despite the use of antitussive and expectorant drugs, this may indicate heart problems.

Cough in heart failure is dry and irritating, and most often it appears in the evening, especially when lying down, although it can also bother you during the day.

In addition, pink, frothy mucus may be released during coughing.

2. Shortness of breath

Shortness of breath is one of the important signs of heart failure.

In the initial stages, cardiac dyspnea worries only after intense physical or emotional stress. But with the progression of the pathology, even a 10-minute walk causes a feeling of acute lack of air.

If shortness of breath torments you even at rest, especially when lying down, because of which you are forced to sleep in a sitting or half-sitting position, if you find it hard to breathe in a well-ventilated room, urgently make an appointment with a therapist or cardiologist.

3. Snoring and sleep apnea

Do you wake up at night from your own snoring? Does your breathing stop during sleep for 5 to 10 seconds? Don't ignore these symptoms that indicate heart problems.

Snoring and sleep apnea (namely, the short-term cessation of breathing during sleep) lead to hypoxia of the heart muscle, which increases the risk of a heart attack by 3 times!

4. Pain syndrome

Pain between the shoulder blades and in the neck, radiating to left hand, shoulder and even jaw often accompanies heart disease.

Pain can occur both after physical or emotional stress, and without any reason.

The pain may be squeezing, dull or sharp. In addition, the patient complains of a burning sensation in the chest, against which the fear of death may develop.

Particular attention should be paid to pain localized in the chest area and not passing after taking cardiac nitrate-containing drugs. Such pain may be a sign of a developing myocardial infarction.

Any pain in the chest and heart area should be a reason to visit a cardiologist, as it may indicate angina, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, aortic aneurysm, pericarditis.

5. Chronic fatigue

A weak heart is not able to provide proper blood circulation, as a result of which the cells and tissues of the body experience a lack of oxygen and nutrients, which leads to the development of chronic fatigue.

If the feeling of weakness and fatigue is your constant companion, if even a long rest does not bring a feeling of cheerfulness, if you are physically unable to perform your usual activities (for example, take a shower or cook breakfast), this may indicate a violation in the cardiovascular system.

6. Headache

Pulsating headache, concentrated in the temples and tormenting mainly in the morning, may be the result of increased blood pressure.

In turn, hypertension can become a trigger in the development of serious heart diseases, including stroke and heart attack.

7. Nausea and loss of appetite

One of the symptoms of chronic heart failure is loss of appetite, accompanied by abdominal pain and flatulence.

In addition, people with heart disease often experience nausea after eating even a small amount of food.

Important! Short bouts of intestinal colic often become harbingers of a heart attack.

8. Dizziness and loss of consciousness

Jumps in blood pressure in combination with circulatory disorders lead to the following symptoms:

sudden dizziness,
fainting state,
short syncope.

These signs may precede a stroke, so they should never be ignored.

9. Frequent urination

Nocturnal diuresis is a sign of chronic heart failure.

The volume of urine excreted increases at night due to increased blood supply to the kidneys (during the day the body intensively supplies blood to the heart and brain, the activity of which decreases significantly at night).

10. Pale and blue skin

Failures in the work of the heart lead to the fact that this organ is not able to transport blood in full to all organs and systems of the body. The lack of blood supply leads to the fact that the skin becomes unnaturally pale.

This symptom is observed in the following pathologies:

anemia,
vasospasm;
rheumatism,
insufficiency of the aortic valves.

In the chronic course of heart failure, the lips may turn pale or acquire a bluish tint.

If the mitral valve is disrupted, the cheeks will turn bluish-red or purple.

With hypertension, the nose is modified, which becomes red, bumpy, with capillaries appearing on the surface of the skin.

11. Swelling of the legs

Disorders in the work of the heart prevent the removal of fluid from the tissue and provoke poor blood circulation, especially in those parts of the body that are farthest from the heart. As a result, fluid accumulates under the skin, and edema forms.

Most often, the legs swell (namely the feet and lower legs), and this happens in evening time, while by morning the swelling disappears.

At first, swelling is small and barely noticeable, so their appearance is not given much attention. But as heart failure progresses, the swelling increases, causing difficulty walking.

Ignoring this symptom can lead to the fact that not only the legs, but also other parts of the body, including internal organs, will begin to swell.

12. Rapid heartbeat

Our heart begins to beat faster during intense physical exertion, emotional arousal, and even when overeating. And this is a normal physiological process.

But if the heartbeat quickens for no apparent reason, this may indicate heart problems.

Therefore, if you regularly experience a feeling in which the heart seems to “pop out” of the chest, do not hesitate to visit a cardiologist. Especially if such attacks of palpitations are accompanied by weakness, dizziness, pain in the heart or fainting.

These symptoms may indicate tachycardia, angina pectoris, heart failure, and wear and tear of the heart muscle.

Remember that early diagnosis of heart diseases is the key to their successful treatment and maintaining a high quality of life!

Check how your heart works

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, diseases of the cardiovascular system are the most common cause of death worldwide. Despite this, in most cases they are easily treatable and, if the symptoms of a particular heart disease are detected in a timely manner, the chances of recovery are very high.

Common symptoms of heart disease:

Swelling and increased sweating. If the heart is unable to pump blood normally, the patient may experience swelling under the skin or eyes;
Fatigue and fatigue. This symptom should be addressed Special attention, if it appears suddenly, comes without visible objective reasons and does not go away for a long time. May be accompanied by tremor of the limbs;
Chest pain. It is a manifestation of many heart diseases - from coronary artery disease and imminent myocardial infarction, if the pain is burning (before a heart attack, it is especially strong and can be given to the left arm, neck and back), to inflammatory pathological processes of the cardiovascular system (if it is supplemented by elevated body temperature );
Strong heartbeat;
Dyspnea. The feeling of lack of air and severe shortness of breath can speak not only of lung diseases, but also of heart problems. Asphyxiation attacks are often a harbinger of myocardial infarction. Only doctors can accurately identify the cause of shortness of breath;
Nausea. The lower parts of the heart are located next to the stomach, therefore, with diseases of the cardiovascular system, the patient may experience frequent bouts of nausea, outwardly resembling simple poisoning;
Blood pressure above 140/90 and pulse above 80 or below 60 bpm;
Cough that is not amenable to adequate treatment with antitussive drugs and aggravated by taking a supine position.

Women are less likely than men to suffer from such diseases. The most common symptoms of heart disease in women are cough, shortness of breath and swelling.

Below is a list of heart diseases, as well as symptoms and treatment for each individual diagnosis.

Cardiac ischemia

Ischemic heart disease is a violation of the flow of blood to the myocardium (heart muscle) due to damage to the arteries through which it is supplied to it. The chest pain described above is the most striking symptom of its manifestation. These symptoms of heart disease in men are more common than in women, since the statistics of the disease itself show a predominance of the number of male patients. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely cure IHD with modern means - treatment is usually aimed at preventing the disease from progressing into a severe form.

Only a cardiologist can adequately draw up a treatment plan for this heart disease. Patients are usually prescribed the following drugs:

medicines that reduce the formation of blood clots by reducing blood clotting;
drugs that block receptors for mediators of adrenaline and norepinephrine;
medicines belonging to the group of nitrates ("Nitroglycerin", etc.);
diuretics.

IHD lends itself and surgical treatment- Patients with this diagnosis often undergo coronary bypass surgery and implantation of a medical balloon.

Myocardial infarction is an advanced stage of ischemic heart disease. With it, the blood supply to one of its sections is completely stopped.

IHD is more common in the elderly. Obesity, arterial hypertension, high salt intake, smoking and alcohol abuse, and low physical activity can contribute to its occurrence. The appearance of coronary artery disease is also possible with large sports loads without prior preparation for them.

Arrhythmia

Frequent fluctuations in the pulse may indicate the presence of an arrhythmia in the patient. Many experts do not consider an arrhythmia to be a heart condition, but this symptom often means that the patient may have a more serious problem. Some cardiac pathologies, according to the WHO classification, can be attributed to particular forms of arrhythmia, for example, heart block, flutter, atrial fibrillation, etc.

Arrhythmia can be treated with drugs such as Verapamil, Timolol, Magnesium Sulfate, Disopyramide and some others. Unauthorized data reception medicines invalid. In the treatment of arrhythmia, you can use decoctions based on hawthorn flowers, motherwort, valerian, hops, mint, St. John's wort, but here you need to remember: herbal medicine cannot completely replace traditional treatment.

Heart failure

Heart failure, like arrhythmia, is not classified by many specialists as a group of diseases. In this syndrome, due to poor functioning of the heart, the blood supply to other organs and tissues is disrupted. Depending on the rate of flow, the disease is divided into two forms: acute and chronic. Symptoms of heart disease in men and women will be the same: bluish lips and limbs, shortness of breath, dry wheezing, hemoptysis.

For the treatment of acute heart failure, doctors take all necessary measures to normalize blood circulation, achieve normal blood pressure and heart rate. If acute heart failure was caused by myocardial infarction, the pain symptom is eliminated. Further therapeutic measures involve the treatment of the disease that caused the acute form of heart failure.

In chronic heart failure, the patient is advised to reduce the amount of water consumed, give up salty foods and follow a certain diet to normalize body weight. For treatment, the doctor usually prescribes drugs of the nitrate group, diuretics, cardiac glycosides (for example, digoxin) and antihypertensive (lowering blood pressure) drugs, etc. Self-medication for heart failure is strictly unacceptable.

Heart defects

Heart disease - a violation of the heart, caused by pathological changes in one or more heart valves. Heart disease can be either acquired or congenital.

With this disease, the patient has stagnation of blood in the path of small and large circles of blood circulation. This happens due to the loss of the ability to regulate blood flow in one or more valves.

Medicines in the treatment of heart disease are used only to eliminate inflammatory processes. Surgery will be required for a complete cure. Previously, congenital heart disease was not amenable to complete cure, but thanks to modern advances in surgery, now it will not be difficult.

Heart neurosis

Neurosis of the heart occurs with a general neurosis. Complaints that appear with this disease are palpitations, high blood pressure, pain in the heart area, numbness of the extremities, dizziness, sleep disturbance, increased sweating, general weakness, etc. Each individual person will have different symptoms and treatment for this disease , but complaints are always expressed strongly. Pain in neurosis of the heart lasts at least a few hours, sometimes they are present up to 2-3 days. Patients can sometimes hear their own pulse and this will cause them anxiety. The disease may be accompanied by a slight increase in temperature (up to 37.5).

The elimination of such a condition is possible only after the patient has been cured of a complete neurosis. Patients are categorically contraindicated in alcohol and drugs. In the treatment of neurosis, it is very important to resort not only to medical methods, but also to psychological ones.

Prevention of heart disease

Prevention of heart disease involves the systemic use of some recreational activities:

Regular exercise. Physical activity in a small amount can strengthen the heart muscle and increase blood circulation. The most beneficial for heart health are those types of exercises that use the respiratory function of the body - running, skiing, cycling, etc.
Sticking to principles healthy eating. Reception of fatty, salty and spicy foods, if possible, it is better to minimize, but steamed fish, raw avocados, flaxseed oil, nuts and cereal cereals will be useful for heart function due to their high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids .
Avoidance of stress. Stressful situations contribute to the production of the hormone adrenaline in humans. If a calm reaction to stress is not possible, it is recommended to take herbal sedatives - valerian, mint, motherwort, etc.
Rejection of bad habits. Smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages accelerate the formation of blood clots and destroy the walls of blood vessels. Tobacco and ethanol can cause coronary heart disease, arrhythmias and other severe health consequences. If alcohol cannot be avoided, it is recommended to eat as much fresh green vegetables as possible while drinking it.
Regular examinations and visits to a cardiologist. Usually suffering from heart disease is brought not by the very fact of their existence, but by the severe consequences that have come due to the late detection of the diagnosis. The minimum procedure required to undergo at least 1 time per year is an ECG. If you have complaints, the cardiologist may refer you to other examinations.
Prompt and timely treatment of all emerging infectious diseases, especially in the elderly, to avoid possible complications.
By following all the above recommendations, you can reduce the likelihood of such diseases by almost 2 times.

What are the first symptoms of heart problems?

The very first sign of emerging heart problems. Shortness of breath occurs when the heart is still slightly affected, but can no longer pump enough blood.

These are signs of vascular disorders. Edema in heart disease begins to appear in cases where the heart can no longer cope with the increased load and decompensation occurs.

bluish lips

With circulatory failure of the heart, a pale or bluish color of the lips is noted. If the lips are completely pale, anemia (anemia) should be excluded.

If you see an obese person in front of you, you can almost certainly suspect cardiovascular disease in him. Overweight This is a serious additional burden on the heart.

The bluish-red color of the cheeks may be an indicator of abnormalities in the mitral valve.

Red bumpy nose

A red bumpy nose with streaks of blood vessels suggests hypertension.

Signs of a medical emergency:

superficial shortness of breath, in which the patient cannot take a full breath;
severe pallor or abnormally red complexion;
weakly palpable, but frequent pulse;
suddenly blurred look;
the appearance of slurred speech;
the inability of the patient to respond to speech addressed to him;
loss of consciousness.

You should not ignore the feeling of discomfort in the chest, heaviness or pain behind the sternum, pain radiating to the arm, back, under the shoulder blade, throat, jaw, lack of air - these are symptoms of a heart attack.

A sick heart: hidden signs

We are well aware of the signs of a heart attack: chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, heart rhythm disturbance, fear, sweating, dizziness, and sometimes loss of consciousness. However, there are a number of signs by which you can suspect and warn him long before an attack.

The first signs of heart failure begin to appear months or even years before a heart attack. These may be the following signs.

What can be confused with pain from angina pectoris. with heartburn, with toothache, with intercostal neuralgia, with muscle pain, with nerve impingement. It's easy to check: take nitroglycerin. The pain of angina pectoris will significantly decrease or stop.

Periodically occurring these "pains" in men over 40 years of age and in women over 45 years of age should be the reason for contacting a therapist for a heart check.

Feeling short of breath

Shortness of breath is rapid breathing and a feeling of lack of air that occurs during physical or emotional stress, and then with daily activities. This is a symptom of problems with either the lungs or the heart.

"Cardiac" shortness of breath often occurs in the supine position. It happens that the cores a few days before the attack even sleep sitting or suffer from insomnia.

Increased fatigue, tiredness

This symptom is noted by most women who have had a heart attack. Uncharacteristic fatigue from daily work may have haunted them for several months before the attack, but they did not pay attention to it.

In 65% of men diagnosed with ischemic disease hearts, for several years before that, may suffer from erectile dysfunction. In women, this manifests itself as a decrease in libido, difficulty in achieving orgasm.

If the problem with erection persists for a long time and does not depend on stress at work or physical fatigue, this is a reason to contact a therapist or cardiologist and check the heart.

Snoring and sleep apnea

According to statistics, sleep apnea increases the risk of a heart attack over the next 5 years by three times. That is why difficulty breathing during sleep and snoring should not go unnoticed - these are problems that require immediate correction by the therapist. Possibly with a cardiologist.

Gingivitis and periodontitis

Oddly enough, inflammation of the gums and their bleeding can also be associated with heart disease.

There are two theories to explain this fact. Firstly, with cardiovascular diseases, the blood supply to the body worsens, small arteries suffer, and the tissues around the tooth are very sensitive to the amount of incoming oxygen. Secondly, it is known that diseases of the oral cavity can be complicated by heart diseases (for example, myocarditis after tonsillitis). This means that the bacteria that cause inflammation of the gums may be involved in damage to the arteries that feed the heart, and in the development of inflammation in them.

When the heart stops working at full strength, the blood cannot remove metabolic products and fluid from the tissues. As a result, edema is formed - this is a sign of heart failure. Inconspicuous at first, they grow over time. Edema can be suspected by shoes and rings. This symptom requires a mandatory examination of the heart.

Violation of the heart rhythm can manifest itself long before the attack. Sometimes it only shows up under load. Preventive ECG helps to identify it, which should be performed once a year for men after 40 years and women after 45.

Particular attention should be paid to the presence of these symptoms in people with risk factors for myocardial infarction. These include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attacks in the patient himself or in relatives, smoking, diabetes. physical inactivity. obesity.

The first signs of coronary heart disease

Ischemic disease consists of several diseases, the root cause of which is a lack of oxygen. This factor has a significant impact on the functioning of the heart muscle, as a result of which the organ loses its previous performance.

Like any other disease, coronary disease is best prevented or treated early stages, not run. Therefore, it is very important to be able to identify the symptoms of this disease.

Depending on the form of the disease, the symptoms of coronary heart disease will be different. Many people live with the disease for several years and do not even realize that their heart muscle feels an acute lack of oxygen. If you visit massage chairs several times a week. If you run in the morning, have a tight lunch and dinner and do not feel discomfort in the heart area, then such coronary disease is considered asymptomatic. In most cases, a person feels some pain in the heart area, but cannot understand what it is connected with.

Do not think that the pain will be permanent. There are so-called peaks and valleys of coronary disease. This disease develops slowly, and the symptoms of the disease themselves can change over time. Sometimes it seems that the disease has receded, but in fact it began to develop in a different way.

The first symptoms of the disease may be pain in the back. Some people begin to feel pain in the left side of the jaw and in the left arm. If you begin to notice a rapid heartbeat and excessive sweating, then you should consult a doctor. The most common symptom of the disease is still pain in the left side of the chest. You may not even be able to use the massager. because you will feel his touch incredibly strongly. With overexcitation or heavy loads, a patient with coronary disease develops shortness of breath.

There is a so-called arrhythmic form of coronary disease, in which a person has a change in the frequency of contraction of the heart muscle. The most popular with this form of the disease is atrial fibrillation. Interruptions in the heart, at the same time, people sometimes almost do not feel and do not pay attention to them for a long time. All the symptoms that we cited above are typical for a disease of moderate severity. If a person has launched an ailment, then oxygen starvation will cause not only severe pain in the heart area, but can also lead to myocardial infarction.

In the latter case, what is scary is that after a heart attack, part of the heart muscle cells die and it is impossible to restore them.

Many people first think about the heart only after a myocardial infarction, although paying attention to alarming heart symptoms could save their health.

According to statistics, diseases of the cardiovascular system rank first among the causes of death of the adult population in Russia and around the world. The most susceptible to heart disease are men over 30-40 years old and women over 60 (upon menopause). Takes on special importance in last years sudden death, which is associated with coronary pathology (impaired blood supply to the heart).

However, only rare forms of diseases of the cardiovascular system are asymptomatic. In most cases, the body begins to give alarm signals long before the disaster. The main thing is to recognize them in time and take the necessary measures.

Can't stand chest pain. When discomfort occurs in the heart
you need to stop, if possible, sit down or lie down. people
suffering from ischemic heart disease, you should always have
taking fast-acting nitroglycerin preparations with you
and take a dose of medication when pain occurs.

1 sign: pain and discomfort in the chest

Chest pain is the most common symptom of heart disease. With insufficient blood supply, the heart muscle experiences ischemia (lack of oxygen), which is accompanied by severe pain. Heart pain has the following characteristics:

occurs or intensifies when the heart experiences the greatest load: during physical activity (jogging, walking, climbing stairs), excitement, increased blood pressure;
pain quickly disappears at rest, in a sitting or standing position, stops within a few minutes after taking nitrates (nitroglycerin, nitrospray, isoket spray, nitromint, nitrocor and others);
pain is localized in the region of the heart, behind the sternum, can spread (give) to the left shoulder blade, left jaw, left arm;
the nature of the pain is intense pressing, in more severe cases - acute, burning.

The described pain makes you stop activities, stop physical work, sit down or lie down. The load on the heart is reduced, the pain subsides.

Much more dangerous are atypical manifestations of cardiac pain syndrome, to which people often do not pay attention, hoping to endure:

discomfort in the region of the heart, especially associated with physical exertion or excitement: a feeling of pressure, the heart is “like in a trap”, tingling behind the sternum; such sensations are often accompanied by the appearance of fear of death, inexplicable excitement;
heart pain can mimic toothache, pain in the lower jaw, exacerbation of osteochondrosis, myositis of the pectoral and subscapular muscles, heartburn with gastritis, an attack of peritonitis with the appearance of intense pain in the abdomen, nausea and vomiting.

Sign 2: shortness of breath on exertion

Shortness of breath is a feeling of lack of air. During active physical exertion, shortness of breath is a physiological mechanism that allows you to compensate for the excess consumption of oxygen by the working muscles.

However, if shortness of breath occurs with little activity, this indicates a high probability of cardiac pathology. Shortness of breath in heart disease is often the equivalent of heart pain.

Shortness of breath should be alarming, which does not allow you to climb to the 3-4th floor without stopping, occurs when walking calmly at the usual pace.

Shortness of breath, worse at rest, especially when lying down, often indicates the addition of pulmonary (respiratory) insufficiency. In addition, shortness of breath is a companion of diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract (bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, pneumothorax).

3 sign: arrhythmia

Episodes of sudden acceleration (tachycardia) or slowing (bradycardia) of heart rate, a feeling when the heart "jumps" out of the chest, can also be signs of heart disease.

Most often, myocardial ischemia is accompanied by atrial fibrillation. A person feels discomfort in the chest, dizziness, weakness. When probing - the pulse of weak filling, heartbeats are felt as non-rhythmic, then become more frequent, then slow down without any system. If the heart rate is not higher than 80-90 beats per minute, a person may not feel interruptions on his own.

If chest pain or shortness of breath does not improve at rest, does not go away
within 3-5 minutes after taking nitrates, there is a high risk of irreversible
ischemic heart disease - myocardial infarction. In such a situation, you need
call an ambulance and take half an aspirin on your own.
From how quickly it will be rendered health care, depends
further prognosis for the health and life of the patient.

Sign 5: swelling

Swelling or pasty tissue may indicate heart problems. In violation of the contractile function of the myocardium, the heart does not have time to pump blood, which is accompanied by a slowdown in its flow through the vessels. Part of the fluid moves from the general blood flow to the surrounding tissues, causing an increase in the volume of soft tissues.

Cardiac edema can be observed throughout the body, but are more pronounced in the lower part of the body, where the rate of blood return to the heart is minimal, more often in the evening. You should pay attention to the appearance of marks from socks or stockings, an increase in the girth of the ankles, shins, rounding of the contours of the legs, difficulty in trying to clench your fingers into fists, remove the ring from your finger.

Expert: Olga Karaseva, candidate medical sciences, cardiologist
Natalia Dolgopolova, therapist

The material uses photographs owned by shutterstock.com

Heart attack symptoms are fairly common, and many people don't even realize they're having an attack at first.

Most cardiovascular diseases are preventable

A heart attack can happen suddenly. Its symptoms are quite common, and many people initially do not even realize that they have had an attack. Sometimes there can be only ONE symptom and this makes a heart attack even more difficult to diagnose.

What is a heart attack?

The heart is an amazing organ that functions even when separated from the body, as long as it has an adequate supply of oxygen. It works tirelessly, pumping blood throughout the body.

It is very important that the heart receives enough blood supplied with oxygen - the heart muscle dies if it does not receive enough of this blood. Loss of blood supply can result from plaque buildup in the coronary arteries, which blocks blood flow to the heart. Plaques are made up of cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin.

Plaque buildup in the coronary arteries can lead to coronary artery spasm or atherosclerosis, which is narrowing or hardening of the heart muscle, and when the plaque breaks down, a blood clot can form. Atherosclerosis can lead to coronary heart disease, which can cause a heart attack.

According to the American Heart Association, a heart attack also occurs when when the blood supply does not reach the heart due to narrowing of the heart arteries, a phenomenon more commonly known as coronary artery disease.

Difference Between Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest

It is important to understand the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest, as people often mistakenly think they are the same thing. Cardiac arrest occurs due to a violation of the electrical conduction of the heart - in this case, as a rule, without warning, a rhythm disturbance occurs.

cause cardiac arrest various reasons medical nature: cardiomyopathy or thickening of the heart muscle, heart failure, arrhythmia, long Q-T wave syndrome, and ventricular fibrillation.

A heart attack can increase the risk of cardiac arrest and is a common cause.

What happens during a heart attack?

Have you ever wondered what happens during a heart attack? Let's look at what really happens inside the body during a heart attack, and what role plaques play in this.

If plaque builds up in the heart over the years, it can become so dense that it blocks blood flow. It is not easy to notice the decrease in blood flow, because when the coronary artery cannot deliver blood to the heart, another coronary artery takes over its function.

Outside, the plaque is covered with hard fiber, and inside it is soft due to the fatty content.

When a plaque ruptures in a coronary artery, fatty substances come out.

Platelets rush to the plaque, forming a blood clot (the same thing that happens in the case of a cut or any wound).

The formed blood clot becomes a major obstruction to blood flow. The heart, which lacks oxygen-rich blood, begins to starve, and the nervous system immediately signals the brain about what is happening. You start to sweat and your pulse speeds up. You feel nauseous and weak.

When the nervous system sends a signal to the spinal cord, other parts of the body begin to hurt. You feel severe pain in your chest, which slowly creeps to the neck, jaw, ears, arms, wrists, shoulder blades, back and even to the stomach.

Patients who have had a heart attack say that it feels like something is squeezing the chest, and this can last from a few minutes to many hours.

The tissues of the heart die if proper treatment is not provided immediately. If the heart stops beating completely, brain cells die in just three to seven minutes. If treated right away, the heart will begin the healing process, but the damaged tissue will never recover, resulting in permanent slow blood flow.

Risk factors for a heart attack

Age. At risk are men over 45 and women over 55.
Tobacco. Passive smoking for a long period is the reason for the high risk of cardiovascular diseases.
High cholesterol. If you have high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), it is likely that you are at increased risk of a heart attack.
Diabetes, especially if left untreated.
Heart attacks in other family members. If your relatives have had a heart attack, you may also have one.
Passive lifestyle. As a result of a passive lifestyle, the level of bad cholesterol increases, which can cause plaque formation.
Obesity. By losing 10 percent of your body weight, you reduce your risk of a heart attack.
Stress. German researchers have found that when you are stressed, your white blood cell levels increase. This, in turn, increases the risk of atherosclerosis and plaque rupture.
Use of illegal drugs. The use of cocaine or amphetamines can cause spasm of the coronary arteries.
History of preeclampsia. If you had high blood pressure during pregnancy, you are at a very high risk of having a heart attack.
Cases of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

If you have any of these risk factors, I highly recommend seeing your doctor to avoid a heart attack or any cardiovascular disease.

Signs and symptoms of a heart attack

Some people may experience little or no symptoms of a heart attack—this is called a silent heart attack. This is typical mainly for diabetics.

To help prevent premature death related to heart disease, check out the common symptoms of this dangerous condition:

Chest pain or discomfort. This is the most common symptom of a heart attack. Some people may experience sudden, sharp pain, while others may experience mild pain symptoms. This can last from several minutes to several hours.
Discomfort in the upper body. You may feel tension or discomfort in your arms, back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or upper abdomen.
Dyspnea. Some people may only have this symptom, while others may experience shortness of breath with chest pain.
Cold sweat, nausea, vomiting and sudden dizziness. These symptoms are more common among women.
Unusual fatigue. For unknown reasons, you may feel tired, which sometimes does not go away for several days.

Older people who may experience one or more of these symptoms usually just ignore them, thinking they are just signs of aging. But if you experience one or more of these symptoms, have someone call an ambulance immediately.

How to prevent a heart attack

Most cardiovascular diseases are preventable. To avoid a heart attack or any heart disease, I recommend that you follow this lifestyle:

1.Healthy diet.

A diet for heart health doesn't mean cutting out fat and cholesterol entirely. Contrary to popular belief, saturated fats and "big, fluffy" low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) are actually good for the body because they are its natural source of energy.

You should also avoid processed foods, refined carbohydrates, sugar (especially fructose), and trans fats, as they help increase "small" LDL, contributing to plaque buildup.

Focus on fresh and organic, whole foods
Limit your fructose intake to 25 grams per day. If you have diabetes, hypertension, or insulin resistance, fructose intake should not exceed 15 grams per day
Avoid artificial sweeteners
Include naturally fermented foods such as dairy products and cultured vegetables in your diet
Balance your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio by eating wild-caught Alaskan salmon or supplementing with krill oil
Always drink clean water
Eat high-quality saturated and monounsaturated fats with pasture-raised foods and krill oil
Eat High Quality Protein with Organic Animal Products

Eating right alone may not be enough to protect you from a heart attack - remember that it's important to keep track of how often you eat as well. However, I recommend intermittent fasting, which limits the daily food intake to 8 hours. This will help the body reprogram and remind you how to burn fat for energy.

2. Exercise regularly.

It is very important that proper nutrition is accompanied physical activity in the amount of at least 2.5 hours per week.

I recommend high-intensity interval exercise as it has numerous benefits not only for the heart, but for overall health and overall wellness.

Just be sure to rest after each session for best results.

3. Give up smoking.

Smoking cessation is included by the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) in the list of measures to prevent cardiovascular disease that can lead to a heart attack.

Smoking causes narrowing and thickening of blood vessels. In addition, it leads to the formation of blood clots, which can prevent blood flow to the heart.

4. Avoid drinking alcohol.

Alcohol has a lot of empty calories - in fact, it makes you fat. When you drink alcohol, your body stops burning fat and calories.

As a result, the food you just ate becomes fat.

Alcohol also damages the prefrontal cortex by promoting spontaneous eating. To maintain optimal health, I suggest eradicating alcohol in all its forms from your life.

5. Sit as little as possible.

Long hours of sitting are detrimental to health - for example, a 50 percent increase in the risk of lung cancer and a 90 percent increase in the risk diabetes 2 types.

To maintain an active lifestyle at home or even at work, I recommend taking 7,000 to 10,000 steps every day.

A fitness tracker like Jawbone's Up3 will help you keep track of all your activities throughout the day.

5.Optimization of vitamin D levels.

It is important to have your vitamin D levels checked annually, as a deficiency in this vitamin increases the risk of a heart attack by 50 percent.

To reap its health benefits, levels of 40 ng/mL, or 5,000-6,000 IU per day, must be maintained.

7.Try grounding/walking on the ground with bare feet.

When you walk barefoot, free electrons, which are powerful antioxidants, are transferred from the earth to the body.

Grounding, moreover, reduces inflammation throughout the body, thins the blood and fills you with negatively charged ions.

8. Get rid of stress.

A study published in mBio showed that when you are under stress, the body releases norepinephrine. This hormone causes the dispersal of bacterial biofilms, leading to plaque rupture.

To get rid of stress, I highly recommend trying the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

EFT is an energy psychology tool that helps to reset the body's response during times of stress. This will help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. published

works somehow "wrong"? Perhaps you are mistaken, or maybe it really is heart problems that make themselves felt.

Why can't heart problems be ignored?

It can be said that the most important of our organs is heart. It is the "engine" that keeps us alive.

When symptoms of heart problems appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

1. Chest pain

Chest pain is associated with various health problems. May indicate a heart attack severe pain in the chest, with a feeling of heaviness and constriction.

In a heart attack, or coronary artery spasm, the heart receives too little oxygen.

2. Arrhythmia

Heart contractions have a fairly stable rhythm. When the heart is working normally, we usually do not even notice them.

If you notice that the pulse has become very frequent or, conversely, has become too slow, or if changes in the rhythm of the heart contractions occur, consult a doctor, because such an arrhythmia may indicate heart problems.

3. Apnea

Sometimes this symptom goes unnoticed for a long time, but may indicate that heart problems are taking place.

Stopping breathing (this is how “apnea” is translated) in a dream for a while can cause a heart attack because it prevents the brain and heart from getting enough oxygen.

This symptom must be paid attention to, even if it appeared relatively recently.

4. Swelling of the legs and feet

Are you eating a lot of salt? went to a lot last days? In both cases, the legs and feet may swell a little. However, in a few days (if these factors are eliminated), they return to normal.

But if your legs and feet are constantly swollen, it could be symptom of fluid retention caused by heart failure or deterioration of the arteries.

5. Shortness of breath

If we constantly feel that we do not have enough air, we experience shortness of breath and feel it is not normal.

In such a situation, you need to analyze your habits and your activity. If you have changed your habits and your physical activity has increased, feeling short of breath may be natural.

6. Sexual problems

One of the first signs of heart disease may be problems with sexual life, especially if the person is between 40 and 50 years old.

If you have any other medical conditions or are over 50 years of age, seek the advice of a trusted physician.

It will help you figure out if problems with sexual life are related to heart disease or something else.

7. Broken heart syndrome

This syndrome (also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy) is so named because it can be triggered by emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one.

With it, a person experiences the same pain as with a heart attack, but this temporary symptom, which often occurs in healthy people.

This syndrome does not have such "harbingers" as high cholesterol, high pressure, unhealthy diet or sedentary lifestyle.

The cause of broken heart syndrome is considered to be an increase in blood levels of catecholamines (mainly adrenaline).

Such an increase leads to high anxiety and stress. At the same time, the body begins to produce substances facilitating his return to normal.

Some treatment is also needed. Fortunately, in 90% of cases of this syndrome, the functions of the heart are completely restored.

Try to lead a healthy lifestyle: eat right, maintain a normal level of physical activity and control your emotions.
If you notice any strange symptom, do not hesitate to contact a specialist. Our heart usually "signals" us that it has problems. Under no circumstances should these signals be ignored.
Write down the symptoms you notice regularly. This will help doctors quickly diagnose.

Sometimes, one blood test is enough to identify the pathology of the heart.