Symptoms

Symptoms can be described as a change in the mind or the body of a patient that indicates the presence of a disease. Keeping a track of any symptoms that you might be suffering from can actually help you detect diseases before they have a chance to wreak too much havoc.

Angina

Angina is a term that is used to describe a condition of reduced blood flow to the heart. This condition is considered as a symptom of coronary artery disease. Commonly described as tightness, heaviness, pain, pressure, or squeezing feeling in the chest, the symptoms of angina include:

• Discomfort or pain in the chest
• Pain in the neck, arms, shoulder, back, or jaw along with the chest pains
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness

Heart Failure

Heart failure, alternatively referred to as congestive heart failure, occurs when the muscles of the heart fail to pump as much blood as they should. The signs and symptoms of heart failure can include:

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Swelling in legs, ankles and feet
• Arrhythmia
• Reduced exercising ability
• Persistent cough or wheezing
• White or pink blood-tinged phlegm
• Increased need to urinate
• Swelling of abdomen
• Sudden weight gain
• Lack of appetite
• Nausea
• Decreased alertness
• Chest pain in case the heart failure is caused by heart attack

Palpitations

Feelings of having a rapid, fluttering or pounding heart, the symptoms of heart palpitations can make you feel like you heart is:

• Pumping harder than usual
• Beating too fast
• Fluttering
• Skipping beats

Edema

Described as a kind of swelling that is caused by excess fluid that has been trapped in your tissues, the signs and symptoms of edema include:

• Swelling or puffiness of tissues that are directly under the skin
• Skin that appears stretched or shiny
• The skin retains a dimple after it is pressed down for several seconds
• Increase in abdominal size