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Beware of the 4 signs of an unhealthy heart.

June 16, 2020

Beware of the 4 signs of an unhealthy heart.
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You might think that a heart attack comes with a sudden and severe chest pain that cannot be ignored. While this is true in some cases, many patients suffer a silent heart attack. This is less dramatic, so is hard to recognize, but can be as deadly as the painful version.

Heart attack happens when blood supply to the heart is hindered either due to build up of plaque in the blood vessels or a blood clot. As the heart is starved of oxygen-rich blood, it leads to significant damage of the heart muscle.

Silent heart attacks

A silent heart attack is less obtrusive. It generally causes discomfort that is not particularly painful and so is never recognized as a symptom of a life threatening disease. The damage is causes however, is substantial. It is even more devastating as it goes unnoticed and untreated for long.

The 4 signs of an unhealthy heart

Chest pain, pressure or discomfort

This is not the excruciating pain or crushing pressure that you would generally associate with a heart attack. This is bearable but uncomfortable. It sets in gradually and disappears on its own without any treatment. It also resembles symptoms of heartburn. This misleadingly mild symptom masks the greater problem. The heart is being deprived of oxygen and is being damaged even as you go about your normal life clueless about it.

Pain or discomfort of the jaw, neck, back, arm, stomach

This is another misleading and confusing symptom of a troubled heart. It is further complicated as every person experiences it differently. The effects of an ailing heart can be felt in many parts of the body as pain or discomfort. As these pains are not immediately recognized as symptoms of heart problem, they are self-treated in isolation while the cause goes unnoticed and untreated.

Shortness of breath, dizziness

It is common to become breathless while involved in strenuous activities, but if you are left panting for breath after normal work, then it is a sign of heart problem. If simple tasks such as climbing stairs, carrying a small weight, doing routine household chores, work that you easily accomplished in the past leave you out of breath, then your heart is not able to pump enough blood through your body. This can also lead to spells of dizziness and fainting.

Sweating and nausea

If you wake up in the middle of the night bathed in sweat, have bouts of nausea and vomiting, then you may have a heart problem. You may mistake these symptoms as a common viral fever, but these are also symptoms of heart disease.

These four signs are symptoms of a silent heart attack. Your distressed heart is whispering to you instead of shouting loud that it is under attack. Recognize these symptoms and if these are sudden or you have more than one, consult your doctor at the earliest to prevent a devastating heart attack.

Disclaimer: We recommend consulting a Doctor before taking any action based on the above shared information.


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Doctor

Dr. A. Ashok Kumar

Dr. A. Ashok Kumar

MBBS, MD (Medicine) DM (Cardiology)

Senior Consultant - Interventional Cardiologist

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