Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Watch out for these Symptoms of Heart Disease

By Allie Hart

You can't always recognize symptoms of common heart problems. Some things you might think are related to your heart are not really problems. Other symptoms may indicate serious coronary heart disease and need immediate attention. You need to be able to distinguish between the two.

Common heart problems have many symptoms. If you are at all concerned that you are having symptoms of coronary heart disease -- call your doctor. In fact, it is a good idea to let your doctor know of any symptoms you suspect might be related to your heart. By recognizing these you might prevent a heart attack!

Here are some common symptoms: Feeling exhausted without apparent reason -- not being able to do a full day's work or even finish simple chores. You might have a loss of appetite, or even nausea with a bloated stomach feeling. Finding breathing labored or difficult without exertion is another sign. All of these should be reported to your doctor.

Other common heart problem danger signals: Chest pains (especially if they ease up when you rest). Irregular heart beats or palpitations. A heart that seems to speed up or race. All of these are symptoms that indicate you should check for coronary heart disease.

Go straight to hospital if that is your doctor's advice. If you cannot get in touch with your doctor, and you are concerned, you should go to hospital right away rather than ignore any health disease symptoms. This is especially true if you indulge in unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking or substance abuse, or if you have members of your family who have heart disease.

If you are alone, call 911. If you feel chilled or are sweating profusely; if you suddenly feel weak or have severe shortness of breath along with an accelerated heart rate, you should get to a medical facility immediately. Other severe signs are not being able to move, an unusually severe headache, fainting spells or a heavy feeling in your chest that turns into a severe pain.

Heart disease symptoms can rapidly deteriorate into a heart attack. You may feel you are not in danger, but if you are having the symptoms, call your doctor. If on the other hand, you feel you may be in danger - don't hesitate to see if it gets better. Go to the hospital or call 911! - 15437

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