African American adults are more likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease, and they are more likely to die from heart disease.
Researchers have done a lot of work in recent years looking at the signs and symptoms that heart patients have experienced in the months or even years leading up to a heart attack.
So, right now, what factors would a doctor look at to grade the health of your heart?
“The heart, together with the arteries that feed it, is one big muscle, and when it starts to fail the symptoms can show up in many parts of the body,” says cardiologist Jonathan Goldstein of Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.
1. Sexual problems
Something cardiologists know but the average guy doesn’t: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the best early tip-offs to progressive heart disease.
“Today, any patient who comes in with ED should be considered a cardiovascular patient until proven otherwise,” says Goldstein.
In women, reduced blood flow to the genital area can impede arousal, make it harder to reach orgasm, or make orgasms less satisfying.
If you or your partner has difficulty getting or maintaining an erection or has problems with sexual satisfaction, that’s reason enough to visit your doctor to investigate cardiovascular disease as an underlying cause. Get a full workup to assess possible causes of erectile dysfunction or difficulty with orgasm. Men should see both a general practitioner and a urologist, and women should see both a general practioner and a gynecologist. Both men and women should request heart tests – even if the doctor doesn’t mention them.
2. Snoring
If you snore loudly enough to keep your sleeping partner awake or to force him or her to resort to earplugs, your heart may be at risk. Restricted breathing during sleep, the underlying cause of snoring, is linked with all types of cardiovascular disease. Sleep apnea, in which breathing briefly stops during sleep, is linked with a higher risk of both cardiovascular disease and heart attack.
Any sleep-related breathing problem is a clue that something’s wrong, so call the doctor. They may recommend a sleep study, but get your heart checked out too.
3. Sore, swollen or bleeding gums
Sore, swollen, or bleeding gums are symptoms not only of periodontal disease, where exposure to bacteria causes the gums to become inflamed and pull away from the teeth. But unhealthy gums are also a possible early sign of underlying cardiovascular disease.
See a dentist to treat gum disease and prevent the presence of bacteria. Because gum disease can be a red flag for inflammation and circulatory problems, ask your doctor if ongoing gum symptoms warrant a checkup.
4. Puffy or swollen legs or feet
If you notice that your feet swell enough to make your shoes tight; your ankles, wrists, or fingers are noticeably puffy; or there are deep pressure marks or indents when you take off socks or hose, you may have a problem with fluid retention. Also called edema, fluid retention can be a sign of coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure, and other forms of cardiovascular disease.
Report problems with edema to your doctor, who can run tests that may indicate CAD and can determine if your heart function is normal.
5. Shortness of breath
An early sign that something is wrong with a major bodily system is shortness of breath, typically with exercise, exertion, and stress. Typically, shortness of breath indicates either early-stage heart disease or early-stage lung disease, and it’s not possible to know which it is without seeing a doctor.
It may feel like you can’t catch your breath, or you may notice a feeling of compression in the chest and lungs, making it difficult to take a deep breath.
Another breathing symptom of poor circulation may be labored breathing, which occurs when fluid accumulates in the lungs. If you notice that your breathing problems are worse at night or anytime you lie down, that can also indicate a heart problem.
Shortness of breath, either with exercise and stress or all the time, is always a reason to see the doctor for a checkup, since it can be a symptom of a number of serious conditions.
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