Symptoms of Heart Disease

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for both men and women in the United States. Know the symptoms of heart disease so you can get help-for yourself or a loved one-before it's too late. If heart disease runs in your family, you will want to adhere to a diet for heart disease even before you are diagnosed as a method of prevention. If you recognize you are experiencing one or more symptoms, go to the hospital and request a heart disease screening right away.  Early detection and treatment is essential for survival and recovery.

Symptoms and precursors commonly reported by men with heart disease
While people of both sexes can experience these symptoms or precursors, these are the symptoms most commonly reported by men.

• Chest pain. Men who are diagnosed with heart disease often experience chest pain, described as feeling like someone is sitting on his chest, making it difficult to breathe.
• Pain that radiates from the heart into the arm. This pain in the chest often will radiate into the arm, a classic warning sign of an impending heart attack.
• Shortness of breath. This will also be accompanied by shortness of breath, even when not exercising or moving much.
• Fatigue. Men also report feeling suddenly exhausted, almost unable to move. They may appear pale or clammy and may break out in a cold sweat.
• Squeezing pain in chest that goes away with rest. Men also often will report a pain in the chest that hurts with exertion, but goes away in a few moments when he rests.

Symptoms and precursors commonly reported by women with heart disease
While people of both sexes can experience these symptoms or precursors, these are the symptoms most commonly reported by women. Because women often do not exhibit clear signs of heart disease, it can go undiagnosed longer than it does with most men.

• Chest pain. Like men, women often report chest pain or a squeezing in the chest. They may also report feeling a sharp pain that resides in the chest for a few moments before it fades away.
• Nausea. Women are more likely than men to experience nausea as one of their primary symptoms of heart disease.
• Fatigue. Unexplained exhaustion is a common sign of heart disease.
• Palpitations. Rapid or irregular heartbeat is another sign of heart disease. Many women report feeling their heart beating very fast or very intensely.
• Light headedness. A woman with heart disease may report feeling light headed or as if she may faint.

A few common signs or precursors to heart disease are obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. If you have either of these conditions and experience any of the symptoms listed above, ask your doctor to screen you for heart disease.