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heart disease overview > signs & symptoms >
Check Your Symptoms
Condition |
Symptoms |
Aneurysm |
- A small aneurysm may not cause any symptoms. It can be detected by X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or a computed tomography (CT) scan.
- Symptoms depend on the location of the aneurysm. For example, brain aneurysms can cause impaired vision and headaches. Or there may be pain in the area of the aneurysm.
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Arrhythmia
(Irregular Heartbeat) |
- Racing heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Blackouts
- Sluggish heartbeat
- Fatigue
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Coronary Artery Disease |
- Chest pain. When you are working out or stressed, you may feel tightness or squeezing in your chest—under your breastbone—like someone is stepping on it. Or, even if you aren’t exercising, you may feel a sharp, fleeting pain in your chest, abdomen, back, or arm. This atypical chest pain is more common in women.
- Shortness of breath.
- Heart attack. Initial signs of an attack are usually a crushing pain in your chest, pain in your shoulder or arm, and shortness of breath. Women tend to experience additional warning signs of nausea or pain in the back and jaw.
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Heart Attack— Men |
- Discomfort in the middle of the chest. It can last from 30 minutes to two hours, or it can go away and return. The discomfort can feel like pressure, squeezing, or a sense of heaviness or pain. It is not relieved by resting or taking nitroglycerin.
- Discomfort in one or both arms, between the shoulders on the back, in the neck, near the jaw, or in the stomach.
- Shortness of breath or a feeling of not being able to get enough air. This can happen with or without chest discomfort.
- Nausea, vomiting, sweating, extreme fatigue, or a feeling of light-headedness.
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Heart Attack— Women |
- Chest pressure, pain, or discomfort, or a feeling that something is not right. These symptoms come and go.
- Pain localized to areas such as the arm, shoulder, jaw, stomach, or back.
- Shortness of breath in the absence of pain.
- Nausea or passing out.
- These symptoms are even more of a concern if they grow worse with exertion or exercise.
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Heart Disease— Adult |
- Often there are no symptoms of cardiovascular disease until there is a problem.
- Faintness.
- Lightheadedness.
- Nausea.
- Chest discomfort or pain.
- Extreme or unusual fatigue.
- Irregular heartbeat.
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Heart Disease— Children |
- Breathing difficulties
- Feeding problems
- Poor weight gain
- Extremely low blood pressure shortly after birth
- Blue coloration of the skin
- Heart murmur
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Heart Failure |
- Blood and fluid buildup in the lungs (evident in frequent coughing or wheezing and/or blood-tinged phlegm)
- Fluid buildup in the legs, ankles, and feet
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Weight gain from fluid retention
- Rapid heartbeat
- Difficulty exercising
- Nausea
- Sudden weight gain (3 pounds or more in a day, 5 pounds or more in a week)
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Stroke |
- Weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of the body
- Confusion, trouble speaking, or trouble understanding what others are saying
- Difficulty seeing out of one or both eyes
- Dizziness, difficulty walking, or loss of balance
- Severe headache
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Sudden Cardiac Arrest
(Sudden Cardiac Death) |
- Dizziness or a racing heartbeat can occur prior to a cardiac arrest.
- Loss of consciousness.
- No respiration.
- No heartbeat.
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Peripheral Arterial Disease |
- Pain in your leg muscles during walking or other exercise, called claudication
- Pain in your toes or the balls of your feet
- Painful feet that feel better when they hang over the edge of the bed at night
- Ulcers or sores on your feet, ankles, or toes that will not heal
- Toes that turn blue or black
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Related Links |
Heart Attack 101
Arrhythmia 101
Stroke 101 |
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