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Risk Factors and Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore – Your heart is one hard-working muscle, beating more than 100,000 times a day. It’s important to take preventive care of this crucial organ. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide.

You experience chest pain. Chest pain is one of the hallmark signs of a heart problem. While there are other causes of chest pain that are not related to the heart, chest pressure that occurs or worsens with activity is particularly concerning, as it can be a sign that the heart may not be getting enough blood. A cardiologist can help determine the cause and the appropriate treatment plan. Chest pain can also be a sign of a heart attack, which is a life-threatening emergency. Know the signs and call 911 if you think you are having a heart attack. Remember that signs can be different for men and women. You have high blood pressure, Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. Chronically elevated blood pressure causes the heart to work harder to circulate blood, and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. You have shortness of breath, palpitations or dizziness. A cardiologist can determine if a heart condition is the cause. These symptoms may be a sign of abnormal heart rhythm or coronary artery disease. You have diabetes. There is a strong correlation between cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Poorly controlled blood sugar affects how your blood vessels function and greatly increases your risk for developing coronary artery disease. A cardiologist can work with your primary care physician and help determine what treatment or prevention strategies can lower your risk. You have a history of smoking. Smoking is one of the major preventable risk factors for heart disease and can contribute to high blood pressure and cancer risk. Get tips on quitting, You have a history of high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in a number of foods, and is also made by your liver. High cholesterol can contribute to plaque in the arteries. One of the ways you can lower your cholesterol is by eating a healthy diet. Your physician may prescribe medications to treat cholesterol that also help to lower your risk of heart attack. Talk to your cardiologist about heart-healthy foods and monitoring your cholesterol to reduce chances of heart disease. You have chronic kidney disease. If your kidneys don’t function properly, your risk for heart disease increases, Kidney disease is tied to high blood pressure and arterial disease. A cardiologist can discuss how your condition affects your heart and help you reduce your risk for heart disease. You have a family history of heart disease. Certain types of heart disease can be genetic. If a relative has had early-onset heart disease (under age 55 in men and 65 in women), then a cardiologist can help determine how this affects your risk, and may order testing or recommend preventive strategies. You have peripheral arterial disease. Arteries are the blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body. If you have known disease in other arteries, such as the leg arteries or the large blood vessels to the brain (carotid arteries), you are more likely to also have coronary artery disease. A cardiologist can discuss whether other testing is warranted as well as treatment options. You’re inactive and planning to start an exercise routine. Exercise has a number of health benefits, and plays a key role in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. However, certain heart conditions can make exercise unsafe. If you’re considering a new workout regime after being inactive, or have a number of the risk factors for heart disease as listed above, you should consult your physician first. One marathon runner credits this step with saving his life.

If you have any of these symptoms or risk factors, it could be time to see a cardiologist. Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute offers comprehensive cardiovascular clinical programs in Chicago and the suburbs.

When should I see a doctor for chest pain?

You should also visit the ER if your chest pain is prolonged, severe or accompanied by any of the following symptoms: Confusion/disorientation. Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath—especially after a long period of inactivity. Excessive sweating or ashen color.

What will a doctor do for chest pain?

Treatment and Emergency Cardiology Procedures – When the cause of your chest pain has been diagnosed, your doctor will recommend treatment. Treatments may include medication, noninvasive procedures, or in advanced cases, surgery. A combination of treatments may even be required to address your symptoms. Common medications prescribed may include:

Aspirin Artery relaxers Thrombolytic drugs Blood thinners Antacids Anti-anxiety medications

In the event of a heart attack or other life-threatening conditions, surgery may be required. Common surgical procedures include:

Angioplasty Stent placement Surgical repair of the arteries Bypass surgery Emergency dissection repair Lung reinflation

Emergency departments provide stabilizing treatments in the event of a crisis. However, they do not offer long-term solutions or treatment. It is always important to follow up with your primary care physician after a trip to the emergency room to address the source of your chest pain and prevent future events.

Should I go GP for chest pain?

Signs that you need to seek emergency help: –

Sudden pain or discomfort in your chest that does not go away Pain that spreads to your right or left arm, neck, jaw, back or stomach Suddenly feeling sick, sweaty or light-headed Swelling of feet, ankles or lower legs Weight gain over a short period of time Shortness of breath If you already have a diagnosis of heart failure Facial weakness Speech problems Signs of a stroke Sudden memory loss or confusion, and dizziness or a sudden fall Sudden severe headache Sudden sight problems Weakness or numbness on one side of the body Fainting or blackouts Heart palpitations

How do I know if my chest pain is seriously?

Chest tightness; Chest pressure; Chest discomfort Chest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen. When people have chest pain, they’re often concerned they’re having a heart attack. I’m Dr. Alan Greene and I’d like to talk to you for a moment about the different kinds of chest pain and when it may be an emergency. It turns out, there are lots of different kinds of chest pain.

1. In fact, almost everything in the chest can hurt in one way or another.
2. Some of the causes are really nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
3. Some of them though are quite serious, even life threatening.
4. You can have chest pain sure from the heart, but also from pneumonia.
5. You can have chest pain from asthma.

You can have chest pain from a blood clot in the lungs. It can be from nothing more than a strain of some of the muscles between the ribs, or nerves. You can also have chest pain that comes from acid reflux of from a stomach ulcer, gallstones. Many, many things can cause chest pain.

1. You want to call 911 if you are having sudden, crushing chest pain or if your chest pain radiates into the jaw or the left arm.
2. You want to call 911 if your chest pain also causes shortness of breath, or dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.
3. You want to call 911 if you know you have heart disease and you do occasionally have pain but your pain is getting significantly worse than it is ordinarily.

Or comes on with less activity than it does otherwise. But whatever the cause of chest pain, unless you’re sure what’s causing it, it’s worth contacting your physician to find out what may be going on. It’s not a symptom to ignore. Symptoms of a possible heart attack include chest pain and pain that radiates down the shoulder and arm. Some people (older adults, people with diabetes, and women) may have little or no chest pain. Or, they may experience unusual symptoms (shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness). Pain from a heart attack may sometimes radiate to the jaw and teeth. Chest pain is a major symptom of heart attack, but other symptoms such as weakness, shortness of breath, nausea, or vomiting may also occur. When people have chest pain, they’re often concerned they’re having a heart attack.

I’m Dr. Alan Greene and I’d like to talk to you for a moment about the different kinds of chest pain and when it may be an emergency. It turns out, there are lots of different kinds of chest pain. In fact, almost everything in the chest can hurt in one way or another. Some of the causes are really nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Some of them though are quite serious, even life threatening. You can have chest pain sure from the heart, but also from pneumonia. You can have chest pain from asthma. You can have chest pain from a blood clot in the lungs. It can be from nothing more than a strain of some of the muscles between the ribs, or nerves.

• You can also have chest pain that comes from acid reflux of from a stomach ulcer, gallstones.
• Many, many things can cause chest pain.
• You want to call 911 if you are having sudden, crushing chest pain or if your chest pain radiates into the jaw or the left arm.
• You want to call 911 if your chest pain also causes shortness of breath, or dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.

You want to call 911 if you know you have heart disease and you do occasionally have pain but your pain is getting significantly worse than it is ordinarily. Or comes on with less activity than it does otherwise. But whatever the cause of chest pain, unless you’re sure what’s causing it, it’s worth contacting your physician to find out what may be going on.

How worried should I be about chest pain?

Chest pain is never something you should ignore. If you are experiencing it and don’t know the cause, it is always best to seek immediate medical attention. However, while chest pain can be an indication of a heart attack, it can also be caused by a wide variety of other, less serious conditions.

Does angina show on ECG?

Electrocardiogram (EKG) checks for the possibility of a heart attack. Certain EKG patterns are associated with variant angina and unstable angina. These patterns may indicate serious heart disease or prior heart damage as a cause of angina.

How do you know if chest pain is heart related?

How can you differentiate between noncardiac chest pain and heart attack? – Bhave: It can be quite challenging to distinguish, and we often can’t be certain until we do an evaluation, like an electrocardiogram, also known as an EKG, or a blood test. As physicians, we are more concerned about chest pain in patients who have risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease and being over the age of 60,

These conditions all increase risk for coronary artery disease, or blockages in the heart arteries. If you have chest pain that’s new and severe, or associated with other symptoms like shortness of breath or nausea, these are reasons that you should go to the emergency department. Classically, heart pain is in the center or left side of the chest, and it may radiate down the left arm or into the jaw.

But not every patient experiences the typical “elephant-on-your-chest” feeling. Sometimes, nausea, shortness of breath or feelings of indigestion are the most prominent symptoms. A lot of times when people are having heart attacks, they just feel really unwell, maybe cold and clammy.

They know inherently that something is wrong. On the other hand, if you are having chest pain that is very brief, lasting only seconds or minutes and going away, without any of these associated symptoms, like the shortness of breath or nausea, it may not be heart-related. The same goes for chest discomfort that gets better with antacids, muscle relaxants, warm compresses, or relaxation and deep breathing.

Not all heart-related chest pain is due to blockages in the heart arteries. A condition called pericarditis, which is inflammation around the lining of the heart, can cause chest pain that gets worse with deep breaths or with lying down. Pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in the lung, can cause shortness of breath, elevated heart rate and chest pain that gets worse with deep breathing.

Can you feel if your heart is unhealthy?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, so knowing how to answer the question, “what are the signs of an unhealthy heart” can help you notice any abnormalities before they develop into a more serious issue. Common symptoms of an unhealthy heart include shortness of breath, chest pain, an irregular heartbeat, nausea, heartburn, stomach pain, back pain, and/or left side pain.

How can I test my heart at home?

How to Check Your Heart Health at Home Heart diseases are quite a common scenario these days and are the major reason for the most recorded deaths. Thus, it is essential to pay attention to your heart health and keep a check on the same to stay heart-healthy.

But how do you do a heart check-up at home? Here are a few tests that you can consider trying to monitor your heart health at home to determine whether you need a trip to your doctor’s clinic: Stair test Do you get breathless while walking up the stairs? It’s time that you take up the stair test to,

It is said that a person with a healthy heart should not take more than one and a half minutes to climb four flights of stairs. If you are unable to ascend the stairs within the time limit mentioned, your heart health might be sub-optimal, and consulting a doctor is recommended for such people.

1. Eep a check on the heart rate Your heartbeat rate or pulse stands to be a critical factor for determining heart health.
2. You might have often seen doctors checking the pulse of the patient; you need to do exactly the same to check the functioning of your heart and your overall fitness.
3. To examine your pulse rate at home, you need to place your middle finger and index finger of your right hand on the inner wrist of your left hand to feel the tapping sound of your heartbeat.

Next, you need to take a second watch and count the number of taps or pulses for 10 seconds. The number of taps should be further multiplied by six to deduce the heartbeat rate for one minute. A normal pulse measures between 60 and 100 beats a minute, and if your heart beat rate is above or below the regular count, it’s time that you seek medical consultation.

• Aerobic exercises Doing aerobic exercises can also help in determining your heart health.
• Though this may not give very accurate results, such as stair tests and heart rate monitoring but is an indicator of your heart health.
• If you feel breathlessness even while performing light aerobic exercises, there is a high chance that you might have some underlying condition concerned with your heart.

The same stands true when you experience fatigue and tiredness after performing such exercises because an adequate amount of oxygen does not reach the blood that runs down your muscles. Signs and symptoms of an unhealthy heart Here are a few signs that your heart is unhealthy and should be given immediate care:

Shortness of breath Swollen feet Lack of stamina light-headedness Discomfort in the chest Slow or racing heartbeat Left shoulder and left arm pain Heartburn or back pain Irregular heartbeats Sexual health issues Dizziness Headache fatigue Sleep apnoea Blue or pale grey skin colour Swollen ankles and lower legs Numbness, weakness Pain in toes

Tips to keep your heart healthy A healthy heart calls for a healthy and active lifestyle. Here are a few tips that can help keep your heart healthy: Exercising

Little or no exercise can hike the chances of accruing heart disease. Thus, it is imperative for every individual to get themselves indulged in any type of exercise for at least 30 minutes a day to lower such heart health risks. Practicing low-impact exercises such as walking can help gain control over your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and obesity, which aids in improving heart health.

Other activities, such as swimming, jogging, HIIT, rowing, etc., also aid in strengthening the heart muscles and enhance the ability of the heart to do its job. Stay hydrated Dehydration can put unnecessary stress and strain on your heart because when you do not drink enough water, the volume of your blood (which has high water content) decreases and makes it difficult for the heart to distribute nutrient-rich and oxygenated blood to your body.

On the contrary, staying hydrated is the key to the efficient functioning of the heart. It is said that, on average, men should have at least 3.7, and women should consume at least of water a day to keep their hearts functioning properly. The water requirement may vary based on the climate of the place you reside, body weight, activity level, and exposure to the sun.

• Gain control over your blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes Blood pressure and cholesterol can pose severe risks and can damage your heart.
• The same is the case with diabetes.
• Thus, it is important for every person having high cholesterol, BP, and blood sugar level to implement lifestyle changes and say no to sedentary habits to gain control over such issues.

Cut down on bad habits Smoking is not just injurious to your health but also your heart as it can lead to blood vessel damage that connects your heart and other parts of the body, making you more likely to acquire heart disease. On the contrary, the consumption of excess alcohol also puts a person at risk of heart disease.

Thus, quitting smoking and restricting alcohol intake is a must if you wish to keep your heart healthy. Conclusion Heart disease, if left untreated, can turn out to be a silent killer. Thus, it is imperative that you keep an eye on your heart health,, and reach out to a doctor as soon as possible if you suspect signs and symptoms of an unhealthy heart.

: How to Check Your Heart Health at Home

What are the red flags for cardiac chest pain?

Red flags in chest pain Chest tightness with radiation to the left arm, jaw, and/or back that is associated with dyspnea should be considered cardiac chest pain until proven otherwise.