If you have these three related symptoms, we get to the heart of the problem.
Dr. Jeremy London, a heart surgeon based in Savannah, Georgia, says if you have difficulty breathing or feel swelling in your legs when you walk or lie down, your heart may be weak. I’m warning you.
The London government said: “These should be red flags.” Tuesday’s TikTok.
I get short of breath when walking
Shortness of breath — when you struggle to get enough oxygen and your breathing becomes heavier, faster, or deeper than usual — usually occurs because of heart or lung disease. According to the Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms may start suddenly or last for a long time. Common causes include heart attack, arrhythmia, and heart failure.
Heart and Vascular Institute of New Jersey urges you to seek medical help Shortness of breath is accompanied by swelling of the ankles or feet, difficulty breathing when lying down, chills, cough, high fever, or wheezing.
Difficulty breathing when lying down
Orthopnea is a medical term for shortness of breath when lying down, which often improves when you sit or stand.
If your heart is weak, it has a hard time pumping the extra blood that is naturally redistributed from your legs to your lungs when you lie down.
Sleeping with pillow support may temporarily relieve your symptoms, but if you have trouble breathing orthopnea, especially if you also have chest pain or tightness, palpitations, wheezing, or cough, seek medical attention. You need to visit an institution.
Orthopnea is common signs of heart failure.
swelling of legs
Fluid buildup within tissues causes swelling called edema. A backflow of blood into the veins of your legs may indicate that your heart is not working properly.
This is often the first noticeable sign of heart failure.
Experts recommend seeing a doctor Swelling begins suddenly for no apparent reason and is accompanied by chest pain, difficulty breathing, fainting, dizziness, or a bloody cough.
At the doctor’s office, Dr. London will give you a medical history and undergo a physical exam, including an echocardiogram.
“An ultrasound probe placed in the chest can typically measure the ejection fraction, which is the percentage of blood ejected from the heart with each beat,” London said.
“Normal values are between 65 and 70 percent. Anything significantly lower than that may indicate heart failure or heart weakness,” he continued.
