Heart disease is the number one cause of death in both men and women around the world. Although there are many factors that can lead to heart problems, most of them come down to unhealthy lifestyle choices. Thankfully, your body always gives off a warning sign anytime a condition such as heart attack is on its way. Here are 5 common symptoms that indicate heart problems.
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Pain That Radiates To The Arm
Many men who experience heart issues report feeling pain in their left arm while the women may report feeling this pain in either of both hands and their elbows. This happens due to the brain misinterpreting a pain in the heart as physical pain in the arm. While this pain can be subtle and easily be due to a muscle strain, you shouldn’t take any chances and consult your doctor immediately.
Persistent Cough
A persistent cough can be a symptom of many conditions and heart disease is one of them. Someone whose hearts is not beating properly may have a chronic cough that produces a pinkish bloody liquid. This is a very common symptom in people with heart failure and should never be ignored if discovered.
Swollen Legs, Ankles, And Feet
When your heart is not pumping blood properly, food from your blood vessels may leak into surrounding tissues in your body, especially your lower extremities. This results in a swelling of the feet, legs or ankles that is called peripheral edema. While this swelling may appear due to pregnancy, liver problems, prolonged sitting, injury, or altitude sickness, it is quite common in people with heart disease. So you should visit your doctor to rule out heart disease or any other serious condition.
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Nausea And Loss Of Appetite
A lot of heart disease patients report having a lot of nausea, lack of appetite or both. This is due to a build-up of fluid around the liver and intestines that makes digestion more difficult and causes symptoms such as bloating and abdominal cramps. In fact, people may experience abdominal cramps that come and go right before a heart attack. If you see that you’re experiencing several of these symptoms at once, pay a visit to the doctor immediately.
Excessive Sweating
Sweating excessively at any time of the day even when you’ve done nothing to warrant it may be a sign that a heart attack is on its way. Women with heart problems experience this symptom much more than men. As a result, it is often confused with hot flashes and night sweats that menopausal women go through. This is enough reason to pay attention to this symptom and consult a doctor to rule out heart disease.
Source:
Webnd.com
Aging.com
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