Heart disease is complicated: There are many different types and just as many potential complications. But despite what you may believe, it doesn't always wind up with you clutching your chest, face twisted in pain.
Heart disease can manifest in several ways — sometimes without you even realizing it.
Because heart disease can sneak up on you, it's best to get your information straight from the experts. And that's where we come in.
Dr. Fahmi Farah and our team at Bentley Heart want you to know everything there is to know about heart disease so you can spot even the more obscure warning signs and get help as soon as possible.
Here are a few lesser-known signs that you may have heart disease.
Lack of sleep, stress, anxiety — these are all recipes for chronic fatigue. You may not know that you can add heart disease to that list, particularly heart failure or coronary artery disease (CAD). In both types of heart disease, your heart works harder than it should and struggles to operate efficiently.
With your heart working overtime, you have less energy to get through the day
From kidney problems to a long day spent on your feet, there's more than one reason you've got cankles. Often, the swelling goes down with movement and rest, but when it doesn't go away, it could be the result of a severe problem lurking behind the scenes.
Want to get a better idea of what your swollen ankles could mean? Try pressing the swollen area. If your finger leaves an indentation, you might have a heart problem.
Writing off shortness of breath can be tempting, especially if you're already out of shape. While it's normal to get winded when walking upstairs or increasing your activity levels, needing to catch your breath when you're not being active is a cause for concern.
You might expect to leave the dentist needing a cavity filled, not a referral to a cardiologist. But it's true — jaw pain and toothaches can signify an underlying heart problem. This happens because of the location of your vagus nerve.
Your vagus nerve is one of the longest in your body and is the main component of your parasympathetic nervous system. It runs from your brain to many different areas of your body, including your jaw and heart.
Your heartburn and reflux could be a reaction to that gut-busting burrito you ate — or it could be a problem with your ticker. The worst part? Women are more likely to miss this warning sign. Women who report acrid reflux-like symptoms are misdiagnosed as much as 50% of the time with a digestive disorder rather than what it actually is: a heart attack.
If you're suddenly struggling with gastrointestinal issues, get our expert to run some tests.
Sweating after working out or spending time in the sun: normal; sweating for no good reason at all: that's a problem, especially if you're also feeling chest pain. If you're sweating when you shouldn't be, make an appointment with us as soon as possible. It could be a sign of heart disease or a heart attack.
If you've identified with one or more heart disease symptoms, don't wait another day. Our expert can quickly and accurately determine what's happening behind the scenes and help you develop a game plan. Call our friendly staff at 817-720-5185 or use our online booking tool to schedule an appointment.