Symptoms of heart disease in your blood vessels (atherosclerotic disease)

Cardiovascular disease symptoms may be different for men and women. For instance, men are more likely to have chest pain; women are more likely to have other symptoms along with chest discomfort, such as shortness of breath, nausea and extreme fatigue.

Symptoms can include:

Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina).

Shortness of breath.

Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms if the blood vessels in those parts of your body are narrowed.

Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back.

You might not be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease until you have a heart attack, angina, stroke or heart failure. It's important to watch for cardiovascular symptoms and discuss concerns with your doctor. Cardiovascular disease can sometimes be found early with regular evaluations.

Heart disease symptoms caused by abnormal heartbeats (heart arrhythmias)

A heart arrhythmia is an abnormal heartbeat. Your heart may beat too quickly, too slowly or irregularly.

Heart arrhythmia symptoms can include:

Fluttering in your chest

Racing heartbeat (tachycardia)

Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)

Chest pain or discomfort

Shortness of breath

Lightheadedness

Dizziness

Fainting (syncope) or near fainting

Heart disease symptoms caused by heart defects

Serious congenital heart defects — defects you're born with — usually become evident soon after birth. Heart defect symptoms in children could include:

Pale gray or blue skin color (cyanosis).

Swelling in the legs, abdomen or areas around the eyes.

In an infant, shortness of breath during feedings, leading to poor weight gain.

Less serious congenital heart defects are often not diagnosed until later in childhood or during adulthood. Signs and symptoms of congenital heart defects that usually aren't immediately life-threatening include:

Easily getting short of breath during exercise or activity.

Easily tiring during exercise or activity.

Heart disease symptoms caused by weak heart muscle (dilated cardiomyopathy)

In early stages of cardiomyopathy, you may have no symptoms. As the condition worsens, symptoms may include:

Breathlessness with exertion or at rest.

Swelling of the legs, ankles and feet.

Irregular heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding or fluttering.

Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting.

Fatigue

When to see a doctor

Seek emergency medical care if you have these heart disease symptoms:

Chest pain.

Shortness of breath.

Fainting

Heart disease is easier to treat when detected early, so talk to your doctor about your concerns regarding your heart health. If you're concerned about developing heart disease, talk to your doctor about steps you can take to reduce your heart disease risk. This is especially important if you have a family history of heart disease.

If you think you may have heart disease, based on new signs or symptoms you're having, make an appointment to see your doctor.

How the heart works

In early stages of cardiomyopathy, you may have no symptoms. As the condition worsens, symptoms may include:

Your heart is a pump. It's a muscular organ about the size of your fist, situated slightly left of center in your chest. Your heart is divided into the right and the left side. The division prevents oxygen-rich blood from mixing with oxygen-poor blood. Oxygen-poor blood returns to the heart after circulating through your body.

The right side of the heart, comprising the right atrium and ventricle, collects and pumps blood to the lungs through the pulmonary arteries.

The lungs refresh the blood with a new supply of oxygen. The lungs also breathe out carbon dioxide, a waste product.

Oxygen-rich blood then enters the left side of the heart, comprising the left atrium and ventricle.

The left side of the heart pumps blood through the aorta to supply tissues throughout the body with oxygen and nutrients.

Risk factors

Risk factors for developing heart disease include:

Age :- Aging increases your risk of damaged and narrowed arteries and weakened or thickened heart muscle.

Sex :- Men are generally at greater risk of heart disease. However, women's risk increases after menopause.

Family history :- A family history of heart disease increases your risk of coronary artery disease, especially if a parent developed it at an early age (before age 55 for a male relative, such as your brother or father, and 65 for a female relative, such as your mother or sister).

Smoking :- Nicotine constricts your blood vessels, and carbon monoxide can damage their inner lining, making them more susceptible to atherosclerosis. Heart attacks are more common in smokers than in nonsmokers.

Certain chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy for cancer :- Some chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapies may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Risk factors

High blood pressure :- Uncontrolled high blood pressure can result in hardening and thickening of your arteries, narrowing the vessels through which blood flows.

High blood cholesterol levels :- High levels of cholesterol in your blood can increase the risk of formation of plaques and atherosclerosis.

Diabetes :- Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease. Both conditions share similar risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure.

Obesity :- Excess weight typically worsens other risk factors.

Physical inactivity :- Physical inactivity. Lack of exercise also is associated with many forms of heart disease and some of its other risk factors, as well.

Poor hygiene :- Not regularly washing your hands and not establishing other habits that can help prevent viral or bacterial infections can put you at risk of heart infections, especially if you already have an underlying heart condition. Poor dental health also may contribute to heart disease.

Stress :- Unrelieved stress may damage your arteries and worsen other risk factors for heart disease.