Frequent symptoms indicating heart disease
This information does not replace a diagnosis by your physician. Please always consult your family doctor.
Pain in the chest
Pain in the chest may be due to the following diseases:
- Coronary heart disease with narrowing of the coronary arteries
- Heart attack
- Inflammation of the myocardium (myocarditis)
- Inflammation of the pericardial sac or aortic dissection (tear in the aorta)
- A pulmonary embolism
If the pain occurs as a feeling of tightness or pressure behind the sternum or above the heart and radiates to the neck, lower jaw, epigastric region and the left arm, it may be caused by Angina pectoris or a heart attack.
In the case of aortic dissection, strong pain occurs in the chest radiating to the back, the abdomen and the legs. Irregular heart beat, heart palpitations or a stabbing pain in the rib cage together with shortness of breath and swelling of the legs may indicate an inflammation of the myocardium. Stabbing pain which increases in strength when lying down and on the left hand side may be caused by inflammation of the pericardium.
Labored breathing
The symptom of labored breathing occurs relatively frequently and may have various causes.
Breathing difficulties during physical exertion may indicate cardiac insufficiency, narrowing of the coronary arteries, an inflammation of the myocardium or a cardiovalvular defect.
Shortness of breath or respiratory distress is an individually perceived feeling of impaired respiration. Patients perceive this feeling as alarming and are afraid of suffocating.
Loss of performance
The occurrence of generalized weakness and rapid tiring combined with rapid weight loss or pain in the limbs may indicate myocardial inflammation. The contractibility of the heart is impaired or weakened. As a result, a drop in the patient’s performance and heart failure (cardiac insufficiency) occur.
Heart rhythm impairments
Irregular pulse or heart rhythm impairments may be attributable to a cardiovalvular defect, high blood pressure, an earlier heart attack, coronary heart disease or cardiac insufficiency. The heart of a healthy person beats on average with the same rhythm approximately 60 to 80 times per minute and is capable of adjusting automatically to different stress levels.
A regular heart rhythm may be interrupted by pauses or additional heart beats. Patients may react by feeling dizzy or in the worst case actually fainting. It is also possible for the heart to beat continually much too fast or too slowly. A pathological disorder occurs if the irregularities are pronounced, long lasting or occur frequently.
Edema
Edema is retention of fluid from the vascular system in tissue and occurs above all as a result of cardiac insufficiency. During the initial stages, edema are formed mainly in the evening and regress in the course of the night. In the advanced stage they remain permanently.
In the case of a weakness of the right ventricle, edema may occur in the legs and feet. Initially, the feet swell particularly in the region of the ankle or on the back of the foot, subsequently also across the shin bone. If liquid passes into the abdominal cavity, a distended abdomen occurs (ascites/abdominal dropsy).
Left-ventricular heart failure is the most frequent cause of a lung edema. Those affected suffer from respiratory distress and a quickened pulse. In addition, a pernicious dry cough with a whitish expectoration or coughing up of a frothy, light red or blood-containing fluid may occur.