Heart Disease Symptoms: What your heart is telling you

Your heart rarely stays silent when something isn’t right. Instead, it often sends signals through changes in energy, breathing, sleep, or pain. Understanding these early warning signs can help you seek care before conditions progress:

• Chronic fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Jaw, neck, or back discomfort
• Swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet
• Sleep problems, including snoring or sleep apnea

After noticing these symptoms, it’s important to take action. By listening to your body and knowing when to seek care, you can play a major role in protecting your long-term heart health.

What types of heart disease cause these symptoms?

Many heart disease symptoms overlap. If you’re experiencing common symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, or swelling, it may be because of these three types of heart disease:

• Cardiovascular disease is the most common type of heart disease and affects the heart and blood vessels by narrowing and blocking arteries, which can limit blood flow.
• Congestive heart disease, or heart failure, occurs when the heart isn’t strong enough to pump blood as efficiently as it should.
• Congenital heart disease refers to heart conditions that are present at birth and affect how the heart forms or functions. While many are diagnosed and treated early, some can affect heart health into adulthood.

What does ongoing fatigue + shortness of breath mean for your heart?

Ongoing fatigue, especially when paired with shortness of breath during daily activities, may be one of the earliest signs of heart disease. These symptoms can occur when the heart isn’t pumping blood as it should. 

Chronic fatigue and shortness of breath are often associated with cardiovascular disease and congestive heart disease.

Because these symptoms often appear gradually, people may adjust their routines without realizing their heart is under strain. If fatigue or breathlessness is new, worsening, or limiting your daily life, talk with your healthcare provider.

What does chest, jaw, neck, or back pain mean for your heart?

Not all heart-related pain is limited to the chest. Discomfort in the jaw, neck, shoulders, or upper back can also signal reduced blood flow to the heart.

These symptoms are more common than you may realize and are often mistaken for muscle strain, dental issues, or stress.

Get evaluated as soon as you can if these symptoms are paired with nausea, sweating, or lightheadedness, as they may point to underlying heart disease.

What does sudden swelling mean for your heart?

Sudden swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet can be a sign that your heart is struggling to move blood properly. While serious, these symptoms typically develop slowly and can be easy to overlook.

By tracking symptoms and flagging them to your provider, you can help guide timely care and determine if a diagnosis of congestive heart disease is appropriate.

 What do sleep problems + snoring mean for your heart?

Your sleep quality can be a powerful indicator of your heart health. Conditions like sleep apnea cause repeated drops in oxygen levels during sleep, placing added stress on the heart.

Meanwhile, loud snoring, pauses in breathing, or extreme daytime fatigue can all be linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

Over time, untreated sleep issues can contribute to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular concerns. If you’re struggling to sleep, talk to your healthcare provider about how you can better protect both your heart and your overall health.

How to protect your heart by knowing your numbers

Routine health measurements can provide valuable insight into how your heart and blood vessels are working, ideally before symptoms of heart disease appear. The following measurements can help you identify your risk and better support your long-term health:

• Blood pressure, which shows how hard your heart is working to move blood throughout your body.
• Cholesterol levels measure fats in your blood and are broken down into good (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and bad (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.
• Blood sugar, also known as glucose, is your body’s main energy source found in your blood.
• Body weight can place a significant strain on the heart, making it harder to pump blood.

When these numbers fall outside a healthy range, your risk of cardiovascular disease, congestive heart disease, and other heart-related conditions may increase.

Schedule an appointment with your primary care to discuss your risk of heart disease.