Tips for Prevention and Management of Heart Diseases

What are the important signs of heart disease that indicate to see your doctor or even call an ambulance?

1. Chest pain (classic sign of heart attack)

It’s usually described as a heaviness, tightness or pressure in the chest; people will often describe it as ‘an elephant sat on my chest’ or ‘a tight band around my chest,’ that sort of constricting feeling. “If you have chest pain and you feel extremely unwell, you should call for an ambulance as soon as possible. “If chest pains occur with exertion, but go away with rest, that is more likely to be angina and you should go and see a doctor.

2. Feeling sick

If you experience intense chest pain at completely rest with feeling sick, that is the time to call for an ambulance. If you’re getting some discomfort without intense pain, as well as feeling sick, call your Doctor as soon as possible.

3. Stomach pain or indigestion

An indigestion-type pain or a burning sensation in your chest or stomach can be a sign of a heart attack or related heart problem until prove otherwise. Because the heart, the passage between your mouth and stomach and the stomach are all lying right next to each other, the challenge, for both members of the public and doctors, is that a burning or indigestion-type pain and heart pain can be difficult to disentangle.

4. Feeling sweaty

If you feel sweaty with gym exercises or if it’s a hot day, is nothing to worry about. But feeling hot and clammy along with chest pains is a sign that you should call an ambulance.

5. Leg pain

If you get a cramping sensation in your calves with walking, it might be worth seeing your doctor, as that can be a marker of PAD (peripheral arterial disease). It’s most common in smokers and diabetic patients. Make an appointment with your GP.

6. Arm pain

If your pain is going down the arm, especially the left arm, or into the neck that makes it will be heart-related than indigestion. If it doesn’t go away, or if you know you have heart disease and have used your GTN (glyceryl trinitrate) spray two or three times to no discernible effect, you should be seeking emergency medical advice.

Call for an ambulance.

7. Jaw or back pain

With heart attacks, if the pain is felt in the jaw, or the back. if it doesn’t go away, call for an ambulance.

8. Choking sensation

The word ‘angina’ actually means ‘choking’, and sometimes the tightness or pain in the throat. If the feeling continues, and you haven’t previously been diagnosed with heart problem, you should call Your Doctor as soon as possible – but if you have some of the other signs listed here as well, it might be safer to call an ambulance.

9. Swollen ankles

If the ankles get really big, as it can be a marker of heart failure, but it also has lots of other causes – for example, blood pressure medication can lead to swollen ankles. If you’re getting swollen ankles, it’s worth making an appointment with your GP.

10. Extreme fatigue

Feeling tired all the time can be a symptom of heart failure, as well as of other conditions. If you’re working long hours or staying up late, it’s probably not your heart – but if you start experiencing extreme tiredness and your lifestyle hasn’t changed, it’s a good idea to chat to your GP.

11. Irregular heartbeat

At the moment, there’s a lot of focus on diagnosing irregular heartbeats. Doctors have to do an audit of the heart monitors for differential diagnose, may be diagnose atrial fibrillation [which can increase your risk of stroke]or extra ectopic beats, which are usually harmless. If your heart is going very fast and jumping around erratically then that’s when you should see your GP. If you feel like this and then you experience blackouts, call an ambulance.