Seven important warning signs to know are:
- Chest pressure, tightness, or discomfort
- Unexplained shortness of breath
- Swelling of the feet, ankles, or legs
- Unusual or persistent fatigue
- Rapid or irregular heartbeats
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting
- Nausea, unusual sweating, or unexplained discomfort
None of these symptoms automatically proves that your heart is in serious danger.
Each can have several possible causes.
But new, persistent, worsening, or severe symptoms deserve attention, particularly when several occur together.
The most urgent symptoms are chest discomfort, significant breathing difficulty, fainting, or symptoms involving pain or discomfort in the arm, jaw, back, neck, or upper abdomen together with other signs of a possible heart attack.
And remember that heart disease does not always announce itself dramatically. Sometimes the first clue is simply that ordinary activities have become unusually difficult.
Pay attention to changes in your body, know your blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors, and don’t dismiss symptoms that are new or significantly different from your normal experience.
