5 Heart Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

Written by Dr. Heather Shenkman for 1MD Nutrition

Age-related changes are inevitable, and without proper attention, these changes can affect your heart. With heart disease being a leading cause of death in the United States, it is important to take care of your heart, paying attention to certain symptoms so you can identify heart disease early.

1. Chest pain

Chest pain probably is the most common symptom for which people go to see a cardiologist, but chest pain can signify several things. While it can indicate heart problems, it can also stem from a wide variety of issues unrelated to the heart. To help you identify heart-related issues, this chest pain will be located on the left side of the chest but may also be in either arm, neck, cheeks, teeth, or high in the middle of the back. Any new chest pain needs to be brought to your doctor’s attention.

2. Shortness of breath

Do you find it hard to take a deep breath? Or, do you get winded more easily during exercise or walking upstairs? When you lie down, do you have trouble breathing, or do you wake up in the middle of the night trying to catch your breath? Answering yes to any of these could be indicative of a potential heart health issue.

Shortness of breath can be related to many heart conditions, such as heart valve disease, coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure, or other structural heart abnormalities. While shortness of breath is a major cardiac symptom, it may be due to something else. If you notice sudden or worsening shortness of breath, talk to your doctor.

3. Palpitations

Palpitations can be defined as an awareness of the beating of the heart, and they can indicate anything from serious cardiac rhythm problems to nothing worrisome at all. Typically, an individual experiencing palpitations may describe a sensation of skipped beats, a rapid heartbeat, or lightheadedness. Palpitations can be a sign of atrial fibrillation and other abnormalities of the heart rhythm, so you need to speak with your doctor should you experience these.

4. Chronic cough

If you have had a head cold then you know coughing can accompany a viral illness, and often the cough takes a while to go away. Coughing helps to remove something that is irritating your lungs or getting rid of bacteria trapped in mucus. Typically, coughing will stop as soon as the irritant or infection is gone.

A cough that does not go away is another matter and can be a symptom of many things. Chronic coughing can be due to acid reflux, postnasal drip, asthma, and other lung conditions. It may even be due to certain blood pressure or heart medications.

A less common cause of cough is congestive heart failure, a condition in which the heart cannot handle the volume of fluid in the body. Also, some heart-related medications have a dry cough as a side effect. If your cough persists, regardless of what you think the cause is, see your physician.

5. Dizziness or lightheadedness

Dizziness and lightheadedness can be attributed to minor causes like standing up too quickly, but it can also be due to a more serious health condition. The sensation can be due to many things such as heart rhythm problems, an abnormal heart valve, low blood pressure, or conditions that limit the body’s ability to adjust to a change in position.

If lightheadedness persists, it is important to be evaluated by a physician. This may include a thorough history, a physical examination, an EKG, and possibly other tests to look for possible causes.

Each of these 5 symptoms can be indicators of multiple conditions and may overlap, so it is important to get an accurate diagnosis. Your doctor can evaluate you to correctly identify the cause and condition and refer you to a specialist if necessary. The sooner the cause of your issues is identified, the better the chances are of successful treatment.

Natural Heart Support

Along with paying attention to symptoms, an important part of heart healthcare is being proactive. One of the best ways to do this is by ensuring your body gets the nutrients it needs to support healthy heart function including:

• Berberine bark extract, used in traditional medicine for centuries, has been recently linked to better heart health. Berberine bark helps promote healthy blood sugar levels in several different ways,including increasing glycolysis to help the body break down sugars inside cells, slowing down carbohydrate breakdown in the gut, and promoting sugar uptake into the muscles.

• BergavitTM, a patented, clinically studied, standardized extract containing the main active flavonoids of bergamot juice, is a potent ingredient that promotes HDL production and healthy cholesterol levels.
• Chromium, a trace mineral that helps support the activity of pancreatic cells, helps promote the absorption of glucose and healthy blood sugar levels.
• Cinsulin®, a purified, water-soluble cinnamon bark extract packed with polyphenols that support proper blood sugar metabolism.
• Niacin, one of the most valuable nutrients for human health, helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and reduces oxidative stress and inflammation to heart tissues.
• Vitamin B12, an essential vitamin that promotes arterial strength and reduces the risk of blood clots by reducing levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that can weaken arteries.

Final Thoughts

Heart disease may be the most common cause of death and disability in the world, but there is so much that you can do to reduce the risks. Your heart will give you signs of distress, you just need to make sure that you are paying attention. You can also be proactive and start promoting optimal heart health today with plant-based nutrition, regular exercise, and heart-boosting nutrients.