Is Your Heart Trying to Tell You Something?

“Heart season” may be drawing to a close, but at the El Mirage Emergency Room, we can’t let American Heart Month pass by without discussing important facts about your heart health. Specifically, we want to make sure our neighbors in the El Mirage community are aware of the signs and symptoms that your heart may need some medical attention.

You may be well versed in the more common warning signs of heart disease or a myocardial infarction (also known as a heart attack), but there are key symptoms that you should be aware of that go beyond chest pain and shortness of breath.

Are you aware of these lesser-known symptoms to watch for?

Feeling dizzy or lightheaded

Dizziness can be a sign of atrial fibrillation or a heart attack. This can be caused by a drop in blood pressure due to blood not reaching the brain or other body parts as readily. When this symptom indicates a heart issue, it’s often accompanied by other factors such as swollen extremities, fatigue, trouble breathing, or chest pain.
Sudden bout of sweating

The reason you might sweat when facing heart problems has to do with clogged arteries. As your heart works overtime to pump blood through narrowed openings, your body could respond to that exertion by sweating.
Upset stomach

While nausea, indigestion, or vomiting can result from anything from a stomach bug to food poisoning, they could be symptoms of a heart issue as well. This is because the heart and the digestive system share nerve pathways. So when the heart is experiencing stress it can trigger the vagus nerve, which can cause stomach upset.
Fatigue

Either by itself or combined with dizziness, feeling fatigued could be a symptom of heart disease or a heart attack. For women in particular, unusual or severe fatigue experienced for several days or weeks could be a red flag. Fatigue occurs because the heart is struggling to pump enough blood to the brain and other organs, leading to a decreased level of oxygen reaching the muscles and tissues.
Numbness, pinching, or discomfort

It can be easy to explain away “weird” feelings in the neck, arm, jaw, chest, or stomach, but they can be symptoms of a heart problem. Numbness and discomfort can be caused by a blocked artery or shared nerve pathways between the heart and other body parts.

You should note that some of the above warning signs can indicate a “silent” heart attack. While the symptoms of one of these milder heart attacks can be considered less serious, and the victim may not even realize they’ve had one, silent heart attacks are nonetheless dangerous. They can damage the heart tissue, making you more likely to have another, more serious heart attack.

Of course, these brief explanations and examples are NOT intended to replace consulting your medical provider or the emergency room staff at El Mirage Emergency Room. If you or a loved one are experiencing any symptoms that could be related to heart disease or a heart attack, please come into the El Mirage Emergency Room as soon as possible. We’re here 24 hours per day to ensure that the El Mirage community is safe, healthy, and equipped with the best emergency medical care in El Mirage.