Protecting Your Heart: Recognizing the Silent Warnings of Coronary Artery Disease

Despite education, despite recommendations to eat a whole-food diet and exercise regularly, and despite statins and other medications, heart disease is still the No. 1  killer in the United States. Untreated high blood pressure, obesity, and other stressors contribute to this serious threat.

You don’t always know if you’re at risk for coronary artery disease and, subsequently, heart attacks. Even thin, fit people could have dangerous amounts of pro-inflammatory visceral fat around their heart and in their arteries.

Some types of cardiovascular issues, such as high blood pressure, don’t have symptoms (hence its nickname as the “silent killer.”) Atherosclerosis, including plaque in your arteries, may also exist without announcing itself. However, careful attention to your body’s signals may help you identify a problem in time. 

At Advanced Medical Care in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, our team urges you to take your heart health seriously, no matter how healthy you think you are. We offer cardiac care and cardiovascular screenings to help you stay on top of your health, and we educate our patients about the silent warnings of coronary artery disease, such as the following.

You can’t catch your breath

If you have trouble catching your breath after exertion, it may not be a lung issue. It could be a cardiovascular issue.

If your arteries are narrowed due to the accumulation of fat and plaque, your blood can’t flow properly. That means your organs are robbed of the oxygen and nutrients they depend on to function, repair, and regenerate.

When your lungs don’t get the oxygen they need from circulating blood, even taking deep breaths won’t help much. If you notice that you’re short of breath after just light exercise, seek medical attention: Once you experience symptoms of coronary artery disease, you’re already at risk for a heart attack.

You feel pain, squeezing, or tightness in your chest

Chest pain is a well-known sign that your coronary arteries aren’t healthy. However, you might not feel excruciating pain. It could be something much more subtle, such as a heaviness in your chest or a sense that your heart’s being gently squeezed. Seek help if you have chest pain, otherwise known as angina.

What you might think is heartburn or acid reflux may not be a digestive issue. Do you get heartburn long after you’ve eaten a meal? Find out if it’s your heart crying for help.

Your heart skips a beat, or more

If you notice that your heart regularly skips beats or beats out of rhythm, pay attention. Palpitations — including heart skips, doubled beats, and missing beats — could be the sign of a struggling heart.

You feel fatigued, lightheaded, or dizzy

Insufficient blood flow affects your brain and the rest of your body. When your heart has to work extra hard to pump blood, you may feel tired all the time.

If your brain isn’t getting sufficient blood flow, you might end up feeling lightheaded or even dizzy. Never ignore cardiac or neurologic symptoms; even subtle signs could be warnings.

More extreme symptoms

If you ignore subtle symptoms like shortness of breath and a feeling of pressure on your chest, your body may move on to more serious events. Signs that your arteries are dangerously narrow include pain that spreads to your:

• Neck, jaw, and teeth
• Arms and shoulders
• Back
• Upper abdomen

You might also become nauseated and even vomit. As with that feeling of heartburn, it’s not necessarily a digestive issue; it could be your heart.

Are you worried about your heart or coronary arteries? Our cardiology team at Advanced Medical Care can conduct stress testing or other cardiovascular tests and evaluate your symptoms. 

Schedule an appointment today by calling the office near you or using our online message form.