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Someone has a heart attack in the United States every 40 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This means that by the time you are done reading this article, somewhere across the country, at least six Americans have suffered a heart attack.
A heart attack occurs when one of the arteries leading to the heart suddenly blocks, cutting off blood flow and depriving the heart of oxygen. This weakens the heart’s ability to pump properly and can lead to heart failure, a chronic disease that gradually develops and gets worse without treatment.
Dr Sharonne N. Hayes, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Mayo Clinic and founder of the Women’s Heart Clinic, told Yahoo Life: “Most people who have a heart attack have had symptoms for a month or more. So what should you watch out for? Here are three warning signs of heart failure, according to experts:
Symptom # 1: shortness of breath
Everyone gets short of breath from time to time, but people who might develop heart failure experience a little different shortness of breath. Dr Nicole Harkin, preventive cardiologist and founder of Whole Heart Cardiology in San Francisco, tells Yahoo Life that when the heart cannot pump blood properly, the blood begins to flow back, causing congestion and fluid build-up in the lungs. . She says these patients may feel short of breath when performing normal daily activities that they “could do easily,” such as walking or climbing stairs.
Dr. Michelle O’Donoghue, Associate Physician in the Cardiovascular Division of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, adds that “people with heart failure often describe needing to sleep with more pillows to keep their heads higher, to breathe more comfortably, or they wake up at night trying to catch their breath.
Symptom # 2: feeling tired
Heart failure also has an impact on the heart’s ability to pump enough oxygen to the muscles in your body. Without the right amount of oxygen, these muscles can wear down quickly. “People with heart failure often notice that they experience fatigue or extreme exhaustion,” says Harkin. “This is because the heart is unable to meet the metabolic demands of the body.”
So how do you know if your fatigue is a symptom of heart failure or something else? Hayes suggests using a comparison. “When people say, ‘You know, I’m not feeling well, I’m tired’. Well, it could be anything, ”she said. Hayes therefore asks his patients to be more specific. “They say, ‘Well, last year I got to mow the lawn, and this year I have to stop three times because I’m too tired and out of breath,” says Hayes. She stresses that this type of change or decrease in the ability to perform tasks you previously did should be a wake-up call and something you should talk to your doctor about.
Symptom # 3: Abnormal swelling
As the blood flow from the heart slows down, over time it may flow back into your veins. “The pressure from this backup causes fluid to build up in the soft tissues of the legs, as well as sometimes in the abdomen,” Harkin explains. This buildup of excess fluid in body tissue is called edema and is another indication of heart failure.
“How you can check for swelling in your legs is by touching your finger on your shin,” says Harkin. “If you notice that you can really see the [deep] imprint of your finger, this is called puncture edema and may be a sign of heart failure. Talk to your doctor if you notice this.
While there are tests, including an echocardiogram or coronary scintigraphy, to measure how well your heart is working, there isn’t a single test that will tell you if you have heart disease. “There is no mammogram for the heart,” notes Hayes. “There is no colonoscopy for the heart.” Hayes explains that although there have been several proposals, “none of the tests have reached this level where they are both predictable and actionable, affordable and scalable.” So, until a test like this is developed, your best defense against heart disease and heart failure is to know and recognize the symptoms. It could prevent you from becoming a statistic.
Video produced by Jacquie Cosgrove.
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