Healthy Fresno

Your heart is a muscle that pumps blood through your body to bring oxygen and nutrients to your other organs

Heart disease is a broad term that refers to diseases of the heart and other related systems like the lungs and the veins and arteries that transport blood throughout the body.

Heart disease is one of the biggest health threats in the U.S. It is the leading cause of death for men and women and affects 62 million Americans, according to the American Heart Association.

But despite how deadly it can be, heart disease is largely preventable.

For instance, while medical professionals believe heart disease runs in families, they agree that preventable conditions like obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure can cause or increase the threat of heart disease. (Source: American Heart Association)

There are many different kinds of heart diseases - each with different symptoms.

General symptoms of heart disease include:

• Shortness of breath
• Palpitations (irregular heart beats, skipped beats or a "flip-flop" feeling in your chest) 
• A faster heartbeat 
• Weakness or dizziness 
• Nausea 
• Sweating 
• Weakness or fatigue (feeling very tired)
• Swelling of your ankles, feet or abdomen. 
• Quick weight gain (a weight gain of two or three pounds in one day).
  

Some symptoms of heart disease can resemble other problems. If you have any of these symptoms, discuss them with your doctor.

Some symptoms of heart disease may only be noticed during a life-threatening event, such as a heart attack or stroke.

(Sources for this section: Merck, Web MD, The Cleveland Clinic)