What happens to the body during a heart attack? Presence of heart problems and their symptoms How to identify heart problems

works somehow "wrong"? Perhaps you are mistaken, or maybe it really is heart problems that make themselves felt.

Why can't heart problems be ignored?

It can be said that the most important of our organs is a heart. It is the "engine" that keeps us alive.

When symptoms of heart problems appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

1. Chest pain

Chest pain is associated with various health problems. May indicate a heart attack severe pain in the chest, with a feeling of heaviness and constriction.

In a heart attack, or coronary artery spasm, the heart receives too little oxygen.

2. Arrhythmia

Heart contractions have a fairly stable rhythm. When the heart is working normally, we usually do not even notice them.

If you notice that the pulse has become very frequent or, conversely, has become too slow, or changes in the rhythm of the heart contractions occur, consult a doctor, because such an arrhythmia may indicate heart problems.

3. Apnea

Sometimes this symptom goes unnoticed for a long time, but may indicate that heart problems are taking place.

Stopping breathing (this is how “apnea” is translated) in a dream for a while can cause a heart attack because it prevents the brain and heart from getting enough oxygen.

This symptom must be paid attention to, even if it appeared relatively recently.

4. Swelling of the legs and feet

Are you eating a lot of salt? Have you walked a lot in recent days? In both cases, the legs and feet may swell a little. However, in a few days (if these factors are eliminated), they return to normal.

But if your legs and feet are constantly swollen, it could be symptom of fluid retention caused by heart failure or deterioration of the arteries.

5. Shortness of breath

If we constantly feel that we do not have enough air, we experience shortness of breath and feel it is not normal.

In such a situation, you need to analyze your habits and your activity. If you have changed your habits and your physical activity has increased, feeling short of breath may be natural.

6. Sexual problems

One of the first signs of heart disease may be problems with sexual activity, especially if the person is between 40 and 50 years old.

If you have any other medical conditions or are over 50 years of age, seek the advice of a trusted physician.

It will help you figure out if problems with sexual life are related to heart disease or something else.

7. Broken heart syndrome

This syndrome (also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy) is so named because it can be triggered by emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one.

With it, a person experiences the same pain as with a heart attack, but this temporary symptom, which often occurs in healthy people.

This syndrome does not have such "harbingers" as high cholesterol, high pressure, malnutrition or sedentary image life.

The cause of the syndrome broken heart an increase in the content of catecholamines (mainly adrenaline) in the blood is considered.

Such an increase leads to high anxiety and stress. At the same time, the body begins to produce substances facilitating his return to normal.

Some treatment is also needed. Fortunately, in 90% of cases of this syndrome, the functions of the heart are completely restored.

Try to lead a healthy lifestyle: eat right, maintain a normal level of physical activity and control your emotions.
If you notice any strange symptom, do not hesitate to contact a specialist. Our heart usually "signals" us that it has problems. Under no circumstances should these signals be ignored.
Write down the symptoms you notice regularly. This will help doctors quickly diagnose.

Sometimes, one blood test is enough to identify the pathology of the heart.

Many people first think about the heart only after a myocardial infarction, although paying attention to alarming heart symptoms could save their health.

According to statistics, diseases of the cardiovascular system rank first among the causes of death of the adult population in Russia and around the world. The most susceptible to heart disease are men over 30-40 years old and women over 60 (upon menopause). Takes on special importance in last years sudden death, which is associated with coronary pathology (impaired blood supply to the heart).

However, only rare forms of diseases of the cardiovascular system are asymptomatic. In most cases, the body begins to give alarm signals long before the disaster. The main thing is to recognize them in time and take the necessary measures.

Can't stand chest pain. When discomfort occurs in the heart
you need to stop, if possible, sit down or lie down. people
suffering from ischemic heart disease, you should always have
taking fast-acting nitroglycerin preparations with you
and take a dose of medication when pain occurs.

1 sign: pain and discomfort in the chest

Chest pain is the most common symptom of heart disease. With insufficient blood supply, the heart muscle experiences ischemia (lack of oxygen), which is accompanied by severe pain. Heart pain has the following characteristics:

occurs or intensifies when the heart experiences the greatest load: during physical activity (jogging, walking, climbing stairs), excitement, increased blood pressure;
pain quickly disappears at rest, in a sitting or standing position, stops within a few minutes after taking nitrates (nitroglycerin, nitrospray, isoket spray, nitromint, nitrocor and others);
pain is localized in the region of the heart, behind the sternum, can spread (give) to the left shoulder blade, left jaw, left hand;
the nature of the pain is intense pressing, in more severe cases - acute, burning.

The described pain makes you stop activities, stop physical work, sit down or lie down. The load on the heart is reduced, the pain subsides.

Much more dangerous are atypical manifestations of cardiac pain syndrome, to which people often do not pay attention, hoping to endure:

discomfort in the region of the heart, especially associated with physical exertion or excitement: a feeling of pressure, the heart is "like in a trap", tingling behind the sternum; such sensations are often accompanied by the appearance of fear of death, inexplicable excitement;
heart pain can mimic toothache, pain in the lower jaw, exacerbation of osteochondrosis, myositis of the pectoral and subscapular muscles, heartburn with gastritis, an attack of peritonitis with the appearance of intense pain in the abdomen, nausea and vomiting.

Sign 2: shortness of breath on exertion

Shortness of breath is a feeling of lack of air. With active physical activity shortness of breath is a physiological mechanism to compensate for excess oxygen consumption by working muscles.

However, if shortness of breath occurs with little activity, this indicates a high probability of cardiac pathology. Shortness of breath in heart disease is often the equivalent of heart pain.

Shortness of breath should be alarming, which does not allow you to climb to the 3-4th floor without stopping, occurs when walking calmly at the usual pace.

Shortness of breath, worse at rest, especially when lying down, often indicates the addition of pulmonary (respiratory) insufficiency. In addition, shortness of breath is a companion of diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract (bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, pneumothorax).

3 sign: arrhythmia

Episodes of sudden acceleration (tachycardia) or slowing (bradycardia) of heart rate, feeling when the heart "jumps" out of the chest, can also be signs of heart disease.

Most often, myocardial ischemia is accompanied by atrial fibrillation. A person feels discomfort in the chest, dizziness, weakness. When probing - the pulse of weak filling, heartbeats are felt as non-rhythmic, then become more frequent, then slow down without any system. If the heart rate is not higher than 80-90 beats per minute, a person may not feel interruptions on his own.

If chest pain or shortness of breath does not improve at rest, does not go away
within 3-5 minutes after taking nitrates, there is a high risk of irreversible
ischemic heart disease - myocardial infarction. In such a situation, you need
call ambulance and take half an aspirin tablet on your own.
How quickly medical care is provided depends on
further prognosis for the health and life of the patient.

Sign 5: swelling

Swelling or pasty tissue may indicate heart problems. In violation of the contractile function of the myocardium, the heart does not have time to pump blood, which is accompanied by a slowdown in its flow through the vessels. Part of the fluid moves from the general blood flow to the surrounding tissues, causing an increase in the volume of soft tissues.

Cardiac edema can be observed throughout the body, but are more pronounced in the lower part of the body, where the rate of blood return to the heart is minimal, more often in the evening. You should pay attention to the appearance of marks from socks or stockings, an increase in the girth of the ankles, shins, rounding of the contours of the legs, difficulty in trying to clench your fingers into fists, remove the ring from your finger.

Expert: Olga Karaseva, Candidate of Medical Sciences, cardiologist
Natalia Dolgopolova, therapist

The material uses photographs owned by shutterstock.com

Signs of heart problems cannot be ignored, even if it seems to you that the pain has already passed and you can live with it. Heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide, especially in developed countries. The insidiousness of cardiovascular pathologies is that the first signs are almost imperceptible or can occur in a latent form.

Mild discomfort most people choose to ignore. Although on early stages treat and avoid irreversible complications. It is much more difficult to cope with sharp pains that indicate the development of life-threatening diseases: myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, ischemic disease hearts, heart attacks and others. In total, there are about 60 types of diseases of the cardiovascular system.

The first signs of heart problems: what should arouse suspicion

Chest pain does not always indicate a heart problem. This does not mean that you can relax and not go to the doctor. Most likely, these symptoms will not go away on their own and can threaten serious health complications. An accurate diagnosis can only be established by a doctor.

But since our health is in our hands, all signs of heart problems should be taken seriously and sign up for an examination.

You can suspect something is wrong by the following first signals of the body:

Chest pain

The most alarming sign that may indicate heart disease. This is one of the first symptoms of a heart attack, so if you have any severe chest pain, you should seek immediate medical attention. You should also be alerted by short-term, pressing pains in the sternum, which are accompanied by sweating, pallor, lack of air. The pain can radiate to the shoulder, left arm and even the jaw.

With various heart diseases, pain can be different character. For example, with angina pectoris, the pain is severe, has a pressing, squeezing character. Accompanied by profuse sweating and fear of death. It lasts 1 to 15 minutes. With pericarditis, the pain is constant, which is aggravated by coughing and breathing. With myocarditis, the pain is long and aching.

Chest pain can indicate not only heart disease, but also other organs. It requires a mandatory visit to the doctor for any character and intensity.

Dyspnea

Expressed in lack of air, easy suffocation. It can manifest itself when a person works, during physical activity and in the supine position. The fact that you have shortness of breath in a calm state or in situations where it was not there before should be especially alert.

Dizziness and fainting

With heart disease, the blood supply to the brain worsens, so a person may feel dizzy and faint. Fainting in heart failure is very dangerous, as it can lead to cardiac arrest.

Fatigue and weakness

Due to the lack of oxygen and other nutrients in heart disease, the whole body suffers. A person feels overwhelmed and tired at the slightest physical exertion. Often, fatigue is accompanied by pallor, absent-mindedness, poor sleep and anxiety.

heartbeat

Normally, we hardly notice it. With pathologies of the cardiovascular system, frequent arrhythmia is one of the signs of heart problems. With arrhythmia, the heart either jumps out of the chest, or freezes and is characterized by a rapid heartbeat and an increase in pulse.

Edema

Edema of the lower extremities indicates the development of heart failure. They appear on the feet and legs in the late afternoon. If you press on this area, then the dent will remain for 30-40 seconds. Edema requires treatment, as it spreads higher and fluid can accumulate in body cavities. Edema in heart disease is often accompanied by pain in the right hypochondrium.

Common signs of heart problems include:

Dry cough is manifested in most heart diseases. With a pulmonary infarction, it can be streaked with blood.

Weakness in the arms and poor grip.

Increased body temperature.

Nausea, vomiting.

Bruising under nails.

Blueish fingers and toes indicate clogged blood vessels or heart defects.

Heart hurts: who to contact and who is at risk

Some heart diseases are difficult to prevent, but most of them are associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. The following factors belong to a special risk group in the development of cardiovascular pathologies:

Congenital disorders of the cardiovascular system.

Diets and malnutrition.

Infections, bacteria and viruses.

Unhealthy lifestyle: alcohol and drugs.

Sedentary and sedentary lifestyle.

Experts warn that there are no simple heart diseases. For any of the symptoms discussed in the article, it is worth undergoing a diagnosis. Timely detected pathology has a good chance for treatment. While serious heart disease is difficult to treat, it is expensive and it is not always possible to predict a positive outcome.

If you have any of the signs of a heart problem, see your family therapist or cardiologist. The doctor will select the most suitable examination methods for you to clarify the diagnosis.

Unfortunately, heart problems can appear not only in adults - every year cases of cardiac abnormalities are increasingly common in infancy and childhood. Even careful and scrupulous observation during pregnancy and compliance with all the recommendations of an obstetrician-gynecologist does not guarantee a favorable cardio anamnesis for the unborn baby - ultrasound diagnostics cannot always reveal minor deviations that will indicate the presence of problems, therefore, 100% exclude cases of congenital anomalies in the heart area impossible. Yes, and acquired problems with the cardiovascular system are not at all uncommon in modern pediatrics: frequent colds, tonsillitis, flu, and others, it would seem, are not at all related diseases, can give a serious load on the heart muscle, causing all kinds of deviations in children.

Therefore, it is extremely important to determine in time how well the baby’s heart works and, at the slightest suspicion of a violation that has arisen, seek help from an experienced cardiologist in order to exclude the possibility of serious anomalies. What to look for when evaluating the work of the cardiovascular system of a child? What symptoms are considered "wake-up calls" for a heart problem? The basics of self-diagnosis of children's cardiac disorders will help to deal with these exciting issues.

Risk Factors Contributing to Heart Problems in Infants

Heart disease can also occur on its own - it is not at all necessary that they be preceded by any violations. However, you should be especially wary if the following situations were observed in the anamnesis during the mother’s pregnancy and in infancy:

The presence of chronic diseases in the mother. Pregnancy is a huge stress for a woman's body, so it is not surprising that in these 9 months everything, even hidden problems, are exacerbated. Such pathologies affect not only the well-being of the expectant mother, but also the developmental features of the child, and one of the first to suffer is the cardiovascular system.

Infectious processes during pregnancy. A heavy viral load directly affects the heart of the fetus, so expectant mothers should be careful during the period of seasonal morbidity and when in contact with the sick, especially in the first trimester, when the laying and formation of the baby's organs is in progress.
Bad habits of the mother. The use of alcohol, drugs, smoking while carrying crumbs can be a “trigger” for the development of heart problems, so all negative effects should be excluded - this is the only way to increase the likelihood of having a healthy baby.
Difficult childbirth. Heart problems in newborns associated with complications during childbirth reach 40% of the total number of cases. Moreover, it is quite difficult to insure against such a turn of events: the only thing that can be done is to regularly visit a gynecologist, undergo all planned examinations and properly prepare for the delivery process.
Bad environmental situation. Statistics show that children living in polluted industrial areas are much more likely to experience heart disease than their peers from rural areas.
Social environment. Babies from intrauterine life begin to feel the stress and nervous shocks that are happening around. If an unfavorable psychological situation reigns in the family, the mother experiences stress during pregnancy, and then the newborn, it is not surprising that later the baby will face heart ailments.

Any negative emotion, tension and negativity affect the sensitive vessels of the baby, so the primary task of parents is to eliminate all irritating factors that can provoke cardio disorders.

Signs indicating congenital heart disease

Babies who have just been born cannot yet complain of characteristic chest pain, arrhythmia attacks and other symptoms associated with childhood heart pathologies. However, attentive parents and experienced pediatricians can recognize the presence of problems by characteristics that will be observed in the crumbs:

Low weight gain. Many congenital anomalies of the cardiac system manifest themselves primarily as a delay physical development, the most obvious factor of which is adequate weight gain. If a child with good nutrition in the first months of life adds less than 400 grams, looks lethargic, weakened and exhausted, you should urgently visit a cardiologist - in this case, only a thorough examination will help confirm or refute an exciting diagnosis.

Blueness of the skin. Poor blood supply to the peripheral vessels and various vascular anomalies lead to a low supply of oxygen to the skin, due to which it acquires a pronounced purple-cyanotic tint. Cyanosis can cover the entire body, or it can appear only in the most sensitive areas (nasolabial triangle, on the lips, under the nails, etc.), but in any case, having noticed such a symptom, it is worth checking the condition of the child's heart.
Dyspnea. The frequency and depth of breathing will also help to recognize cardiac problems. If the baby breathes superficially, shallowly and often, but at the same time he does not have respiratory and catarrhal diseases, it is worth paying attention to the cardiovascular system - in some cases, this is how cardio disorders manifest themselves.

Tachycardia. The most obvious sign that helps to understand if the crumbs have abnormalities in the work of the heart is heart rate (heart rate). Normally, the pulse of a newborn up to 3 months varies within 100-150, by half a year it drops to 90-120 beats per minute. By measuring this indicator in dynamics, one can assess how well the heart copes with the function assigned to it.
Fast fatiguability. If the baby sucks sluggishly at the breast, does not show interest in food, looks tired and does not want to actively move (of course, in accordance with age norms), you should think about the upcoming visit to the pediatrician. Such behavior may be a characteristic feature of the child's psychotype, or it may signal the presence of heart problems.
Noise in the heart. During the examination, each pediatrician must listen to the work of the heart and blood vessels in order to exclude the presence of noise and other pathological sounds. At the slightest suspicion of a pathology, echocardiography is prescribed, which can more thoroughly determine the nature of the noise that has arisen. Organic sounds help to recognize serious malformations, and functional sounds indicate the rapid growth of the body, so they should not frighten parents.

Symptoms of diseases of the cardiovascular system in children of preschool and school age

Older children can already tell their parents what discomforts bother them, so it becomes easier to understand whether the cardiovascular system is working normally. In this case, the following may be a cause for concern:

Discomfort, soreness in the chest. If a child complains that he has pain behind the sternum, heaviness and pressure are felt, you should definitely contact a cardiologist. Do not forget that the child still cannot clearly articulate his feelings: some say that it hurts in the chest, others describe the pain as a burning sensation, others complain of heaviness and discomfort, and it can manifest itself both during exercise and in a state of absolute rest. Therefore, for any of possible problems need to be vigilant.

Stomach problems. Often children confuse heart pain with stomach upset. If the baby complains of heartburn, bloating, nausea, and attacks occur quite often and are not associated with a change in diet, this can serve as an indicator of cardiopathology.
Frequent bouts of dizziness. In principle, weakness and dizziness are absolutely not related to vascular anomalies - perhaps the child simply ate badly or reacted too violently to the change in weather. However, often recurring cases, especially those that are prolonged or accompanied by fainting, should alert attentive parents - this may indicate that the heart cannot cope with the blood supply to the body.

Pain radiating to the left arm. Such a symptom indicates serious and protracted heart problems, which, nevertheless, occur not only in adults, but also in babies. If discomfort affects the sternum, left shoulder and arm, it is urgent to sound the alarm.
Cold sweat. Severe sweating is most often associated with a decrease in immunity, but if cold, sticky sweat appears for no apparent reason, you can suspect a heart problem in a child.
Snore. Normally, the child should not make loud sounds during sleep. If he snores, sniffs or whistles, but nasal breathing is not difficult, you may need to pay attention to the state of his cardiovascular system, undergo an additional examination and take tests.

Coughing. Most often, cough syndrome accompanies colds, but if the virus is defeated, and the cough does not want to go away, you should think about whether the lungs get enough oxygen - this condition can be directly related to cardiac or vascular abnormalities.
Puffiness. The appearance of edema is more typical for adults who are accustomed to malnutrition, while babies have such a symptom - clear sign ill health. If the heart does not pump blood as intensively as a growing body requires, fluid begins to stagnate in the limbs, which leads to swelling.
Fatigue. Usually, the amount of children's energy can only be envied - little "energizers" are ready to jump, run and jump around the clock. If the baby refuses outdoor games, suffers from shortness of breath or weakness even with little physical exertion and tries in every possible way to avoid activities that require a certain activity, it is worth considering - is this a feature of his character or an alarming symptom?

Diseases associated with cardiac activity occupy one of the leading positions among childhood pathologies. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of the heart from infancy, carefully monitor its health and, at the slightest suspicion, visit the attending physician - such forethought can save you from more serious cardio disorders!

Hello friends!

Must be everyone in modern world knows how dangerous heart disease is. And I will not discover America if I say that they occupy the first place among all causes of death. These statistics terrify me. I try to take care of myself and my loved ones, I think that it is easiest to prevent the disease, and start treatment at the earliest stages. Therefore, today I have thoroughly familiarized myself with what are the first signs of heart disease, and what you should always pay attention to. I share with you!

The enemy sneaked up unnoticed

What makes diseases of the heart and blood vessels so insidious is their quiet, inconspicuous beginning. A heart attack develops for a very long time, and then it can sting. And it's good if you meet your relatives in the hospital room, and not somewhere else.

Such diseases mask the symptoms for a long time in such a way that it will not be clear to a simple hard worker that he is not just tired and does not get enough sleep, but he must - legs in hand - run to the doctor. After all, most often you can avoid a heart attack, pay a person their attention to well-being in time.

So let's get started.

You're tired. One day did not get enough sleep, another. OK. Well, it's been a busy week, who doesn't. But if you feel weak every day, and, it would seem, you try to sleep normally, and you don’t drag bags of cement at night, this is the very first call. Something is wrong. If you, just getting out of bed, dream about the moment when you come home in the evening and lie down, this may indicate circulatory failure, and heart disease may develop. Usually this diagnosis is made in men over 40 and in women over 45. Problems in the blood supply to the brain and lungs may also appear at first, they should also be checked.
You have mood swings. Yes, you can be the most calm and balanced person, but with a gradually increasing heart attack, strong excitement, panic attacks, fear of death appear. And this does not mean that you have become hysterical. The problem is much deeper.
You have shortness of breath, arrhythmia. Arrhythmia is a violation of the rhythm of the heart, most often manifested (frequent pulse). These signs (shortness of breath + tachycardia) usually go hand in hand. They can also appear after completely insignificant loads, which used to be easy for you. For example, climb the stairs. Or walk up a small hill. And also, they can appear at night, wake up during sleep. Sometimes there may be bradycardia (the pulse is slow, weak), and then the person may not even feel the problems that have arisen on their own.
You are worried about chest discomfort. Perhaps this is the most obvious manifestation of heart problems. Here anyone will suspect something was wrong. The pain can be either weak, tingling, or quite sharp, with a feeling of severe weakness, when even a mug is hard to lift. This can make itself felt angina pectoris, and the transition to a pre-infarction state can begin. And here you may need to provide emergency assistance.
It is important to know how angina pectoris differs from a heart attack. With angina pectoris, pain can be relieved with nitroglycerin. With a heart attack, no.
You feel numb. This feeling can spread to the hands (often the left), chest, jaw. Yes, similar symptoms can disturb the spine. However, such a feeling of chill in the chest or abdomen may be a sign of an aortic aneurysm or the onset of a heart attack.
you have swelling. Often, with morning swelling, faces can sin for heart problems, and evening swelling of the legs can be attributed to. There is such a criterion: what is farther from the problem organ swells, to which the blood reaches longer and worse. In the case of the heart, blood reaches the legs more slowly from it to the legs. Therefore, the lower limbs swell first. This can be seen by the appearance of traces of socks, stockings, slipping shoes. Hands can also swell, for example, if it is difficult to clench your fingers into a fist or remove the ring.
Dizzy. Dizziness may be accompanied, while the condition may be up to fainting. These symptoms often appear with increased blood pressure. And this increases the chance of adding to heart disease and even a stroke.
Fever, bluish cheeks. And so, in combination with retrosternal pain, an inflammatory heart disease can manifest itself. For example, chronic, in which, after suffering acute inflammation, the valves of the heart seem to be soldered.
Blue nasolabial triangle in children. Sometimes this can happen after a long cry in babies. Or just the skin of the face is thin and pale. However, if the area around the lips and nose has a pronounced blueness, maybe even in a calm state, this may indicate problems with the heart or with the respiratory system. Therefore, exercise maximum vigilance.

What to do?

Of course, if you find one of the symptoms, the first thing we do is go to the doctor. However, what to do if they appeared at the same time sharp pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, weakness, nausea, numbness, dizziness? How to help a loved one or yourself if overtaken by a heart attack?

We call an ambulance.
We seat the person. Or lay half-sitting, raising your head. So we will reduce the load on the heart and reduce the area of \u200b\u200bdamage.
We provide air access. We open the window, unbutton the shirt that constrains clothes, even a bra for women.
Aspirin + Nitroglycerin. Aspirin is preferably crushed and mixed with a spoonful of water, and Nitroglycerin is placed under the tongue and absorbed. If after this relief did not occur, everything points to a heart attack.

However, if you decide to help a complete stranger unconscious in this way, you must be 100% sure that he has high blood pressure.

If you are not sure, nitroglycerin should not be given because it lowers blood pressure and can get worse, even death. So we are waiting for an ambulance.

If you are just starting to have the first symptoms of heart disease, it is very important at this moment to contact a competent specialist. It will be very helpful if you undergo treatment in a special clinic with a cardiology focus.

Periodic trips to sanatoriums of a cardiological profile are also well maintained.
And, of course, we need to look for provoking factors.

Give up bad habits, eat right, have a good rest, do not be nervous over trifles, make sure that there is enough in your life.

See you soon!