(Image: PixelsEffect via Getty Images)
A leading cardiologist has shared the top 10 heart symptoms you should never ignore – including sweating with light exercise, nausea with chest ache and being tired from walking.
A top cardiologist has unveiled the 10 heart symptoms you should never overlook – such as sweating with light exercise, feeling nauseous with chest pain, and waking up tired.
Dr Ameet Bakhai, a consultant cardiologist at Spire Bushey Hospital, highlighted other signs that could suggest your heart is not in optimal condition, including arm heaviness during exertion, shortness of breath when climbing stairs, and frequent extra or missed heartbeats.
Struggling to bend down and stand up, feeling dizzy when standing up quickly, and having swollen legs are also signs that your heart is not adapting to your positions or is retaining excess fluid in the body and needs attention. However, a study of 2,000 adults found that 54% wouldn’t associate most of these symptoms with poor heart health, but half have experienced at least one of these symptoms before.
Dr Ameet Bakhai, who has a particular interest in research into how lifestyle factors can affect cardiac health and how we can prevent this, also stated that a healthy adult should be able to run up two flights of stairs without getting out of breath and squat on a toilet, assuming they have no other health conditions.
Likewise, a healthy adult should be able to comfortably hold their breath for 20 seconds.
Dr Ameet, who has been advising Healthspan’s Love Your Heart supplement range, which commissioned the research, said: “We often ignore our heart health and it’s signals until it’s too late.”, reports Surrey Live.
“There’s no annual MOT to be passed for most of us, so we ignore the small signals that our own engine is not performing ideally.
“Heart issues can often get progressively worse, until one day you have a more complicated issue – that could have been avoided if you’d heeded the warning signs.
“Heart issues can be connected to other things – you might consider not being able to run up two flights of stairs more of a lung condition or a lack of fitness or of weight gain, but there is a lot of overlap with coronary artery disease or heart valve problems or irregular heart rhythms.
“So, looking after your heart health is essential and should be planned as a new year resolution every year.”
The study also found that one in five adults have felt dizzy upon standing up too hastily, while 11 percent have noted chest tightness.
Yet, a third simply chalk these symptoms up to a variety of potential causes, and 26 percent don’t regard them as cause for concern.
Alarmingly, 17 percent refrain from discussing such issues with others to avoid appearing over-dramatic.
And surprisingly, 13 percent deem themselves too young to face heart-related problems.
Dr. Bakhai pointed out the common misconceptions about heart disease by saying: “This is sadly a misunderstanding as heart disease can affect people of all ages, particularly in the era of Covid and beyond, as the virus can attack the heart and the heart lining quite commonly as a condition called myopericarditis (inflamed heart and heart covering – the pericardium).”
He highlighted the importance of recognizing symptoms, advising: “Warning signs like chest tightness, aches in your arms or jaw, dizziness on standing, breathlessness with bending down should act like a wake-up call that your heart is calling out for help.”
Moreover, he emphasized awareness: “Becoming heart aware is vital and more than half of those in the survey were not aware that if they partner had suffered a cardiac episode in the last five years it was highly likely that their risk factors are also increased due to parallel lifestyles.”
Rob Hobson, a registered sports nutritionist with Healthspan, commented on the paradox seen in public behaviour concerning heart health: “These results show a bit of a contradiction between what people do, and what they’re doing for their heart health.”
