About 610,000 people die of heart disease every year in the United States. Though heart-related issues primary impact elderly Americans, this disease doesn’t discriminate and can impact the lives of virtually everyone.
If you’re worried about your heart health, it’s best to schedule a medical scan at an establishment that provides various heart services. Prior to consulting with a cardiac surgeon, however, it’s recommended to understand the signs and symptoms of heart issues.
Here are some important signs and symptoms of various heart diseases that you should be aware of and never ignore:
- Chest pain — The most common sign of heart danger is severe chest discomfort. Heart attacks and blocked arteries typically involve chest pain, tightness, or pressure. If your chest pain is severe and doesn’t go away after a few minutes, you should call 911 immediately. If it’s just a brief discomfort and goes away, though it might not be too serious, you should still schedule a medical scan just to be sure.
- Pain in your arms — Serious heart issues also involve pain that spreads away from the heart and chest area and actually reaches the arm. In some instances, a person’s chest can feel completely fine but an arm ache can be a precursor to a heart attack.
- Easily exhausted — If you suddenly feel fatigued or winded after doing a daily task that you’ve had no trouble doing in the past — like carrying groceries or walking up the stairs — you should make an appointment with a professional cardiologist right away.
- Pain in your jaw, throat, or neck — Pain in these areas by themselves likely aren’t heart-related. But you notice chest and arm discomfort followed by uncomfortable feelings in your neck, jaw, or throat, there could be some cardiovascular issues.
“If you’re not sure, get it checked out,” said Charles Chambers, MD, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Penn State Hersey Heart and Vascular Institute. “The more risk factors you have, the more you should be concerned about anything that might be heart-related.”
If you want to learn more about any of these heart disease symptoms and want to schedule a medical scan with an experienced heart surgeon, give us a call right away.