{"id":3113,"date":"2023-05-08T04:19:34","date_gmt":"2023-05-07T17:19:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/2023\/05\/08\/signsofheartproblems\/"},"modified":"2024-02-15T10:08:16","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T23:08:16","slug":"signsofheartproblems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/signsofheartproblems\/","title":{"rendered":"Recognising the Signs of Heart Problems"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we discuss the symptoms and warning signs of heart problems, including chest pain, shortness of breath, and irregular heartbeat, along with the most common types of heart diseases faced among Australians today. Learn the risk factors associated with heart disease and the importance of seeking medical attention when necessary, and how you can prevent heart disease with the help of a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/learn-about-life\/for-individuals\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">free healthy lifestyle program called the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is heart disease?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018Heart disease\u2019 is a term we all hear a lot, but what exactly is it? Actually, it\u2019s a general term for several conditions that affect the heart. These conditions include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coronary heart disease (CHD)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stroke<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart failure\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Valve disease\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arrhythmias.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What are the different types of heart disease?<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coronary heart disease\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coronary heart disease (CHD) is also known as coronary artery disease (CAD) and ischaemic heart disease. It\u2019s caused by a build-up of fatty substances on the walls of the coronary arteries \u2014 the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with oxygen. Eventually, this build-up can interrupt or block the blood supply to the heart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coronary heart disease is a very serious condition. In fact, it\u2019s the most common type of heart disease and the number-one cause of death in Australia\u00a0(Source:\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aihw.gov.au\/reports\/heart-stroke-vascular-diseases\/hsvd-facts\/contents\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Australian Institute of Health and Welfare<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most common types of heart disease is heart attack.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart attack<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a coronary artery becomes completely blocked, it can cause a\u00a0heart attack. When this happens, the part of the heart muscle that is affected can be damaged or can even die.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to the signs of a heart attack, it\u2019s important to remember that the order that they appear in and how long they last can vary a lot. Some occur suddenly and painfully while others start with mild symptoms that gradually get worse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every heart attack is a medical emergency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Symptoms &amp; Warning Signs of a Heart Attack<\/span><b><\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chest pain or discomfort. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most heart attacks involve pain or discomfort in the centre of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. The pain\/discomfort can feel like pressure, squeezing, heaviness or tightness, and it may spread to the arms (particularly the left arm), neck, jaw, back or stomach.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dizziness and shortness of breath. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Suddenly feeling unsteady or dizzy can be a sign that your heart isn\u2019t pumping properly. If this is accompanied by chest pain\/discomfort, it is a strong sign of heart attack.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nausea and\/or vomiting. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shortly before a heart attack, some people experience indigestion or nausea.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They may vomit.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Again, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">if this is accompanied by chest pain\/discomfort, it is a strong sign of heart attack.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Heart failure<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart failure means that the heart has become too weak to pump blood around the body properly. This weakness can be caused by previous heart attacks, long-term high blood pressure or heart muscle abnormalities (which are technically called cardiomyopathies).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart failure is a\u00a0long-term condition that tends to get gradually worse over time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Main Signs &amp; Symptoms of Heart Failure<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">breathlessness\u00a0after activity or at rest<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">feeling tired most of the time<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">feeling dizzy or lightheaded<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fainting<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">swollen ankles and legs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These symptoms can develop quickly (acute heart failure) or gradually over weeks or months\u00a0(chronic heart failure).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Valve disease<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your heart has four valves that keep your blood flowing in one direction. If they become damaged, they can stop opening and closing properly.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A person could be born with valve disease or develop it as a result of other heart conditions such as heart attack or heart failure.\u00a0It can also be caused by rheumatic heart disease, which is when your heart valves are damaged by your immune system\u2019s response to bacterial infection \u2014 called acute rheumatic fever (ARF).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Symptoms &amp; Warning Signs of Heart Valve Disease<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart valve disease symptoms might not show themselves for many years. When they do appear, they might include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chest pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">abdominal swelling<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tiredness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shortness of breath, particularly when active or lying down<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">swollen ankles and feet<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dizziness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fainting<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">irregular heartbeat.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b>Arrhythmias<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A heart arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. This occurs when the electrical signals that control the heart\u2019s pumping action don&#8217;t work properly, causing the heart to beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia) or irregularly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Symptoms &amp; Warning Signs of Arrhythmias<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some heart arrhythmias are harmless, while others cause symptoms that are bothersome and even life-threatening. The most common symptoms include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">palpitations (feeling like your heart rate is racing, thumping or fluttering)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chest pain or discomfort\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dizziness\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shortness of breath\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tiredness\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">feeling unwell\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sweating\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">anxiety\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fainting or nearly fainting.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Risk factors for heart disease<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are various risk factors that increase\u202fyour\u202fchance of developing heart disease and stroke.\u00a0Some are lifestyle related and can be prevented.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b>Lifestyle risk factors for heart disease<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heartfoundation.org.au\/bundles\/your-heart\/are-you-at-risk-of-heart-disease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart Foundation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/cardiovascular-risk\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">risk factors for cardiovascular disease<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and heart disease that you have control over are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">smoking<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an unhealthy diet<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">being inactive (not exercising enough)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unhealthy weight<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drinking too much alcohol.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Risk factors for heart disease that cannot be controlled<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">family history<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sex \u2014 males are at a higher risk than females who are pre-menopause<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">female-specific risk factors, such as complications during pregnancy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ethnic background<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">social environment \u2014 people living in low socioeconomic areas are at higher risk of having a heart attack or dying due to heart disease<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Prevention of heart disease<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heartfoundation.org.au\/bundles\/your-heart\/are-you-at-risk-of-heart-disease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart Foundation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0has outlined ten things you can do for a heart-healthy lifestyle.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/heart-healthy-diet\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow a heart-healthy eating pattern<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Move more<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be smoke free\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintain a healthy weight<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drink less alcohol<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce stress<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manage your cholesterol<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manage your blood pressure<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manage your blood sugar<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See your GP for a heart health check.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important to speak to your doctor to see if you are at risk. If you are, find a prevention program that works for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a free healthy lifestyle program that can help you prevent any serious heart conditions. Run by expert health professionals, you\u2019ll be able to access resources, information and the support you need to lower your risk of heart disease. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 2007, over 75,000 Victorians have learnt more about living a healthy life with the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> program. It is the largest prevention program of its kind in Australia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can take a quick online health test and check your eligibility for the program\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/#health-check\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button teal\" href=\"#health-check\">Take the health check<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this article, we discuss the symptoms and warning signs of heart problems, including chest pain, shortness of breath, and irregular heartbeat, along with the most common types of heart diseases faced among Australians today. Learn the risk factors associated with heart disease and the importance of seeking medical attention when necessary, and how you can prevent heart disease with&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3114,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3113"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3884,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3113\/revisions\/3884"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}