Expert says there’s one main sign of heart disease everyone should know
An expert has shared the signs of heart failure that people need to be aware about.
Heart failure is when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly - it usually happens when the heart becomes too weak or stiff.
It doesn’t meant that the heart has stopped working, but that it needs some extra support to help it work better.
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It can happen to people of any age, but is most common in older people.
According to the NHS, heart failure is a long-term illness that often gets worse over time. Although there’s no cure, its symptoms can be helped for years, meaning it’s important to get it diagnosed sooner rather than later.
London-based cardiologist Doctor Hafiz Naderi shared a clip to YouTube where he describes the main symptoms to look out for.
The first and ‘number one biggest symptom’ according to the doctor is breathlessness.
He explained: “Remember in heart failure, your heart can’t keep up with your body’s requirements.
"So, when you exert yourself, your heart essentially tells your body, ‘I can’t keep up’, so you feel this as being breathless.”
He went on to say the problem becomes worse when you’re lying down.
As well as breathlessness, those who have heart failure may also feel more tired than usual.
He explained: “I often hear patients who have recently been diagnosed with heart failure say that they are really tired all the time.
“The weak heart is desperately trying to keep up and as a result you feel tired and fatigued.”
Next up, Doctor Naderi says fluid-build up resulting in swelling - particularly in areas such as the ankles - is another symptom of heart failure.
In the clip, he shares: “I often hear patients report that the swelling is worse as the day progresses and is better when they wake up in the morning.
“That’s just due to the effects of gravity pushing the fluid to your extremities throughout the day.”
Alongside the swelling, the doctor also warned that unexplained weight gain can be a common symptom.
“In heart failure management we often ask patients to tell us their dry weight, meaning their weight when there isn’t build-up of fluid in their body,” he continued.
“This helps us understand roughly how much to titrate their medication dosages and what weight to aim for.”
Finally, people with heart failure may begin to feel palpitations - the feeling that your heart has skipped a beat or is pounding in your chest.
The doctor said: “When we see patients in the emergency department with heart failure either as a first presentation or as a result of a decompensation, we often see that their heart rate is high.
“This is because the weak heart is overcompensating as it's struggling to meet the body’s demands so it speeds up and this is why you may experience palpitations."
If you do have these symptoms, book an appointment with your GP.
Claire Reid