The early signs of heart problems are often confused with other diseases. What symptoms can indicate diseases of the cardiovascular system and how not to miss them
Heart problems are among those diseases that come "without a declaration of war." The first symptoms are often disguised as a slight indisposition and "shoot" in those parts of the body that, at first glance, have nothing to do with the heart. Therefore, people usually do not pay enough attention to them or confuse them with other diseases. As a result, many people get an appointment with a cardiologist after a heart attack. Meanwhile, doctors say: recognizing the problem at an early stage, you can support your heart in time and avoid trouble. We have compiled a list of non-obvious symptoms that may indicate a problem with the work of the heart.
Chest pain that "radiates" to the arm
In 70% of cases, chest pain is not associated with heart problems. Most often, it can be a sign of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. However, you should be on your guard if the unpleasant sensation "passes" from the chest to one or both arms. As a rule, in men, this is the left side of the body, but women may feel discomfort in both the left and right hand. If the pain is pressing in nature and at the same time "is given" in the little fingers - this may indicate angina pectoris. A dull pain that spreads to the shoulder girdle and shoulder speaks of coronary heart disease. But acute pain syndrome is typical for myocardial infarction, so here you need to urgently call a doctor.
Dry hacking cough with shortness of breath
A hacking cough can be a sign of heart problems / istockphoto.com
Usually, coughing is not considered a direct sign of heart problems and is more likely to signal other conditions. However, in medicine there is such a thing as "heart cough", which is slightly different from the rest. This type of cough occurs due to problems with ventricular contractions and high pressure in the respiratory system. Therefore, the lungs are supplied with blood unevenly, which is manifested by "coughing".
The "heart cough" is almost always dry. However, in some cases, the patient may "cough up" scanty pinkish sputum or even small blood clots. During such a cough, breathing becomes very rapid, up to shortness of breath. At first, a cough is provoked by intense physical activity, but later a person can cough from basic housework. At the same time, he feels general weakness and wants to lie down, however, in the supine position, the cough only intensifies.
Swelling of feet, ankles and ankles
As a rule, swelling in the legs indicates phlebeurysm, being overweight, or having kidney problems. However, in some cases, edematous legs can be an indirect sign of hypertension and heart failure. This is due to the fact that the heart does not cope well with its "pumping" function, as a result of which there is an excess accumulation and stagnation of fluid in the body.
"Heart" edema appears in the late afternoon, while the legs become heavy as decks. The swelling is evenly distributed over both legs and is most noticeable on the ankles. If you press on them with your finger, a mark will remain on the skin in the form of a dent, which is not smoothed out immediately, but after a few seconds.
Regular nausea and lack of appetite
Nausea may indicate heart failure / istockphoto.com
People often confuse these symptoms with problems of the gastrointestinal tract, go to a gastroenterologist or start taking enzymes for digestion on their own. But if the problem still does not go away, you can suspect that the heart is to blame for it. The fact is that the lower sections of the human "motor" are in close proximity to the stomach. So heart problems are quite capable of causing stomach discomfort.
In addition, due to heart failure, fluid accumulates not only in the legs, but also around internal organs (for example, around the intestines and stomach). Because of this, digestion is hampered, and a person walks all the time with the feeling of a "full stomach". Accordingly, the appetite decreases, and even a small piece of food eaten can provoke the urge to vomit.
Anxiety and increased anxiety
In this situation, it is difficult to say which came before, the chicken or the egg. Heart problems such as tachycardia, angina pectoris, arrhythmias and extrasystoles can cause increased anxiety just because a person constantly feels a rapid heartbeat. However, anxiety disorders by themselves can bring the heart into the state of a hunted rabbit. Therefore, consultation of several specialists is required here.
If you have recently felt yourself on the verge of a breakdown, you are constantly anxious and even more so have begun to experience panic attacks - you must definitely go to a cardiologist and check your heart, and then visit a neurologist and psychotherapist. Even if everything is fine with the heart at the moment, a long stay in this state provokes everything the problems mentioned above: it is quite possible to "walk up" tachycardia and sudden jumps with panic pressure.
Dizziness, fainting, and loss of consciousness
70% of heart hearts suffer from dizziness and fainting / istockphoto.com
Recurrent tinnitus, frequent dizziness, and a tendency to faint may be a sign of severe anemia. In addition, these symptoms often indicate undiagnosed diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, and neurological disorders.
However, in the same way, dizziness and fainting are typical for "heart": according to statistics, 70% of people with heart disease feel ringing in the ears and temporary clouding of consciousness, and 40% regularly fall into fainting. Be sure to exclude the cause of your condition from a cardiologist, because loss of consciousness due to cardiovascular diseases is very dangerous and can be fatal.
Pallor and bluish skin tone
If your pallor is so noticeable that it catches the eye of others, this may indicate a number of disorders in the body. Most often it is anemia, gastritis or stomach ulcer, colitis and other bowel diseases, chronic kidney disease. However, "heart" reasons also have a place to be on this list. If your "motor" malfunctions and does not pump blood well, it does not reach the epithelium in the required volume. As a result, the skin does not just whiten, but acquires a slight bluish tint. So in this case, you should also see a cardiologist.
Eczema, itching and skin rashes
People with eczema are more prone to heart attacks / istockphoto.com
Itching and a rash of an incomprehensible nature immediately leads to the thought of allergies. It is good if someone in this case comes to the allergist, but often a person is saved by taking antihistamines and waits for his "allergy" to subside. "Officially" the heart has nothing to do with it, but there is one interesting study that was conducted in the USA by the Institute of Allergology and Clinical Immunology in conjunction with the American College of Cardiology. Scientists have shown that people with eczema and other skin rashes are 60% more likely to have high blood pressure and heart attacks than those without skin problems.
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