Verified By June 4, 2019
Recognizing heart diseases
Heart disease constitute a range of conditions that affect your heart.
Symptoms of heart disease due to block in your blood vessels (atherosclerotic disease)
Cardiovascular disease is caused by narrowed, blocked or stiffened blood vessels that prevent your heart, brain or other parts of your body from receiving enough blood.
Symptoms can include:
Heart disease symptoms caused by abnormal heartbeats (heart arrhythmias)
A heart arrhythmia is an abnormal heartbeat. Your heart may beat too quickly, too slowly or irregularly. Heart arrhythmia symptoms can include:
Serious congenital heart defects — defects you’re born with — usually become evident soon after birth. Heart defect symptoms in children could include:
Heart disease symptoms caused by weak heart muscle (dilated cardiomyopathy)
Cardiomyopathy is the thickening and weakening of heart muscle. In early stages of cardiomyopathy, you may have no symptoms. As the condition worsens, symptoms may include:
Heart disease symptoms caused by heart infections
There are three types of heart infections:
Varying slightly with each type of infection, heart infection symptoms can include:
Heart disease symptoms caused by valvular heart disease
The heart has four valves — the aortic, mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid valves — that open and close to direct blood flow through your heart. Valves may be damaged by a variety of conditions leading to narrowing (stenosis), leaking (regurgitation or insufficiency) or improper closing (prolapse).
Depending on which valve isn’t working properly, valvular heart disease symptoms generally include:
When to see a doctor
Seek emergency medical care if you have these heart disease symptoms:
Heart disease is easier to treat when detected early, so talk to your doctor about your concerns about your heart health. If you’re concerned about developing heart disease, talk to your doctor about steps you can take to reduce your heart disease risk. This is especially important if you have a family history of heart disease.
February 5, 2021