What are the first signs something is wrong with your heart?

Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina) Shortness of breath. Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper belly area or back. Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in the legs or arms if the blood vessels in those body areas are narrowed.

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What are 3 early warning signs your heart is failing?

Symptoms
  • Shortness of breath with activity or when lying down.
  • Fatigue and weakness.
  • Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet.
  • Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
  • Reduced ability to exercise.
  • Wheezing.
  • A cough that doesn't go away or a cough that brings up white or pink mucus with spots of blood.
  • Swelling of the belly area.

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How do you tell if you're starting to have heart problems?

11 signs you might have heart disease
  • Chest pain. It's the classic sign of a heart attack, yet many people don't realise this could be a medical emergency. ...
  • Feeling sick. ...
  • Stomach pain or indigestion. ...
  • Feeling sweaty. ...
  • Leg pain. ...
  • Arm pain. ...
  • Jaw or back pain. ...
  • Choking sensation.

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What do you feel when you have heart problems?

Heart attack signs and symptoms in men and women: Chest pain or discomfort; Shortness of breath; Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arm, or shoulder; Feeling nauseous, light-headed, or unusually tired.

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What are 3 warning signs of a heart attack in females?

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
  • Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. ...
  • Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
  • Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
  • Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

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What are the telltale signs of heart disease?

27 related questions found

How long does your body warn you before a heart attack?

A heart attack may strike suddenly, but most people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks beforehand. One of the earliest warning signs of an impending heart attack is chest pain, or angina, that occurs repeatedly because of exertion and is then eased by rest.

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What are the signs a month before a heart attack?

Here are some of the most common signs of a heart attack that you may experience a month before the actual event:
  • Frequent chest pain. ...
  • Fatigue. ...
  • Dizziness. ...
  • Indigestion or nausea. ...
  • Sweating. ...
  • Swelling in the legs, ankles and/or feet. ...
  • Irregular heartbeat. ...
  • Pain in other parts of your body.

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What are the 4 signs your heart is quietly failing?

Warning signs and symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, chronic coughing or wheezing, swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and others. Heart failure means the heart has failed to pump the way it should in order to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

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What are the 4 signs of heart failure?

You may have trouble breathing, an irregular heartbeat, swollen legs, neck veins that stick out, and sounds from fluid built up in your lungs. Your doctor will check for these and other signs of heart failure. A test called an echocardiogram is often the best test to diagnose your heart failure.

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Can you feel if your heart is unhealthy?

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. Although not all early signs of heart disease are easy to catch, these are some clear warning signs that it's time to contact your doctor.

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How can I check if my heart is OK at home?

You can check for heart disease at home by measuring your pulse rate and your blood pressure if you have a blood pressure monitor. You can also monitor yourself for symptoms of heart disease, such as: Chest pain, pressure, discomfort, or tightness. Being short of breath.

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How can doctors tell if your heart is failing?

blood tests – to check whether there's anything in your blood that might indicate heart failure or another illness. an electrocardiogram (ECG) – this records the electrical activity of your heart to check for problems. an echocardiogram – a type of ultrasound scan where sound waves are used to examine your heart.

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Am I in early heart failure?

Symptoms of heart failure

breathlessness after activity or at rest. feeling tired most of the time and finding exercise exhausting. feeling lightheaded or fainting. swollen ankles and legs.

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What is Stage 1 heart failure?

Stage I is considered “pre-heart failure.” High-risk individuals include patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and coronary artery disease. A family history of alcohol abuse, rheumatic fever, cardiotoxic drug therapy, or cardiomyopathy can increase your risk.

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What are five signs of heart trouble that you should never ignore?

Often, your body sends signs that your heart needs care—symptoms you should not ignore. These include chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, loss of consciousness, and dizziness. If you have experienced any of these symptoms, make an appointment to see your doctor.

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What is an early indicator of worsening heart failure?

Daily weight.

Many people are first alerted to worsening heart failure when they notice a weight gain of more than two or three pounds in a 24-hour period or more than five pounds in a week. This weight gain may be due to retaining fluids since the heart is not functioning properly.

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How do you feel before heart failure?

Typical signs of heart failure include: Breathlessness or Shortness of Breath (Dyspnea) When the heart begins to fail, blood backs up in the veins attempting to carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart. As fluid pools in the lungs, it interferes with normal breathing.

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How does heart failure begin?

Most often, heart failure is caused by another medical condition that damages your heart. This includes coronary heart disease, heart inflammation, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, or an irregular heartbeat. Heart failure may not cause symptoms right away.

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How long can you live with early signs of heart failure?

About half of people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis. 3. Most people with end-stage heart failure have a life expectancy of less than 1 year.

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What is the best test to check for heart problems?

An ECG reads your heart's electrical impulses. It shows how well your heart is beating. Small sticky dots and wire leads are put on your chest, arms and legs. The leads are attached to an ECG machine which records the electrical impulses and prints them out on paper.

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What are silent heart attacks?

A silent heart attack is a heart attack that has few, if any, symptoms or has symptoms not recognized as a heart attack. A silent heart attack might not cause chest pain or shortness of breath, which are typically associated with a heart attack.

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Do you sleep a lot with heart failure?

If you wake up feeling not refreshed, you have daytime sleepiness or if you need to curtail your daytime activity because of lack of energy, these could be signs your heart failure isn't being managed as well as it could be, Dr. Freeman says.

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Does your body warn you before a heart attack?

Some heart attacks strike suddenly. But many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. Chest pain or pressure (angina) that keeps happening and doesn't go away with rest may be an early warning sign. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.

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What are symptoms 2 weeks before heart attack?

“I understand that heart attacks have beginnings and on occasion, signs of an impending heart attack may include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, shoulder and/or arm pain and weakness. These may occur hours or weeks before the actual heart attack.

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What is the average age of a woman having a heart attack?

While the average age for a heart attack is 64.5 for men, and 70.3 for women, nearly 20% of those who die of heart disease are under the age of 65.

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