Do you know how important your heart is? Are you aware of the major role it plays in keeping you alive? What are you doing to maintain good cardiovascular health?

Heart health is essential to a long and healthy life. Around the world, there are a lot of people that suffer from various heart problems that profoundly impact their day-to-day living. They experience pains, aches, and discomfort, develop serious illnesses, and go through changes that lower the quality of their lives.

The different types of heart disease

There are many types of heart disease. They are diseases that negatively affect the structure and function of your heart. Also called cardiovascular disease, they can remain unnoticed in the early stages and can trigger severe complications if not diagnosed and treated right away.

The following are examples of common heart disease types that you should be careful of:

Congenital heart disease

This disease arises when your heart or blood vessels develop defects while prior to your birth. Its signs and symptoms may begin to show as soon as birth, but may also appear during the toddler and teenage years, or adulthood.

Heart failure

This disease is characterized by the inability of the heart to effectively pump blood. As a result, blood circulation in the body is disrupted, and chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and other symptoms manifest. In severe cases, it can result in pulmonary complications, such as pulmonary embolus and pneumonia.

Coronary artery disease

This disease causes your arteries to harden, resulting in impaired cardiovascular function. Your heart will not be able to receive the oxygen and essential nutrients that keep it running properly and in great condition.

Abnormal heart rhythms

This disease is characterized by an irregular beating of the heart. If you are healthy, your heart beats around 60 to 100 times per minute. However, if you have this disease, your heartbeat will either get very slow or very fast.

Cardiomyopathy

This disease occurs when your heart becomes enlarged, stiffened, or thickened, rendering it unable to efficiently pump the blood for your body and carry out its other functions properly.

Heart valve disease

This disease happens when your heart valves are hardened or blocked, impairing blood flow to your heart. It has different types, including aortic stenosis, mitral valve insufficiency, and mitral valve prolapsed.

Heart disease signs and symptoms to watch out for

Heart disease can strike you anytime. It can sneak up on you without any noticeable signs and symptoms, and be in you for years without you realizing it. For this reason, it is crucial that you visit your doctor on a regular basis.

In addition, if you experience even the mildest pains and aches, you should not just disregard them. You have to get a checkup to know why they occur and what causes them. Your heart may be in trouble, so finding out what they really are should be your priority.

Below are crucial heart disease signs and symptoms that you should not ignore:

1. Abdominal pains

Does your stomach hurt frequently? Is it often accompanied by feelings of vomiting and nausea?

According to medical professionals, abdominal pains and nausea are not only common symptoms of digestive or gastrointestinal problems but may also be a sign of a heart problem. In many cases of a heart attack, they found that some of the patients experienced stomach pains and felt like throwing up during the heart attack.

2. Chest pains

Do you sometimes feel like a heavy weight is suddenly placed on your upper body? Have you experienced feelings of burning sensation, pinching, or sudden tightness in your chest?

Chest pains may point to a problem in your heart. If you have a clogged artery, blood circulation in your body is disrupted, causing chest pains or some other issues. If you are having a heart attack, chest pains also occur, and they require immediate medical attention to avoid worsening the problem.

3. Arm pains

During a heart attack, pains in the chest can spread to the lower part of your body, particularly your arms. Therefore, if you all of a sudden feel intense and excruciating pain in your arms and also in the general left side of your body, you should go to a hospital right away.

4. Fatigue

Having low energy levels and feeling exhausted after doing physically demanding tasks are not really something to be worried about. However, if you only do simple physical activities, such as walking a few minutes to the store or going up a single flight of stairs, you may have a problem with your cardiovascular system. An abrupt decline in energy levels and sudden fatigue may be symptoms of a heart problem that requires medical attention at the earliest opportunity.

5. Swelling in the legs

If your heart is not healthy, there is no way it can efficiently pump enough blood for the different parts of your body, including your legs. Because of impaired blood circulation and flow, your legs, as well as your feet and ankles, will get swollen or inflamed.

6. Persistent coughing

Coughing is a common symptom of many health problems. It happens if you have a runny nose, sore throat, asthma, bronchitis, allergies, or infections. It also can be a sign of heart disease, particularly if it is a persistent one that comes with white or pink colored mucus.

Heart care tips

For optimal heart health, you should make healthy lifestyle choices. The following are things that you have to do if you want your heart to be at its best for many years:

• Get active

Having a regular exercise routine can protect your heart from heart disease and other problems. Because the heart is a muscle, it needs a regular workout to boost its strength, stamina, and endurance, just like the other muscles in your body.

• Cut down on fat

Eat foods that are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. Stay away from greasy and oily foods as they can increase your body’s cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and make you more likely to develop heart disease.

• Quit smoking

The chemicals contained in cigarettes can harm not only your lungs but also your heart. For the sake of your health, give up smoking.