A leading cardiologist has unveiled the top 10 heart symptoms that individuals should never overlook, as they may indicate underlying heart conditions. Dr. Ameet Bakhai, a consultant cardiologist at Spire Bushey Hospital, highlighted symptoms such as sweating with light exercise, nausea accompanied by chest ache, and feeling tired upon waking. Other signs of potential heart problems include heaviness in the arm during exertion, shortness of breath while climbing stairs, and experiencing frequent extra or skipped heartbeats.
However, a study of 2,000 adults revealed that 54 percent of respondents did not associate most of these symptoms with poor heart health. Alarmingly, half of the participants had experienced at least one of these symptoms before. Many adults failed to recognize the connection between these symptoms and heart health, posing a risk to their overall well-being.
Dr. Ameet Bakhai, who has been advising Healthspan’s Love Your Heart supplement range, stressed the importance of paying attention to heart health and recognizing warning signs. He cautioned against ignoring the small signals that indicate suboptimal heart function, as heart issues can worsen over time and lead to more complicated conditions that could have been avoided with timely intervention.
The study also revealed that one in five adults reported feeling dizzy after standing up too quickly, while 11 percent experienced chest tightness. However, a significant proportion of participants believed that such symptoms could be attributed to various causes, while others did not perceive them as serious. Concerningly, 17 percent refrained from discussing these symptoms with others due to fears of being seen as melodramatic, and 13 percent considered themselves too young to have heart issues.
Dr. Bakhai emphasized that heart disease can affect individuals of all ages, particularly in the context of COVID-19, as the virus can commonly impact the heart and its lining. Warning signs such as chest tightness, arm or jaw discomfort, dizziness upon standing, and breathlessness while bending down should serve as wake-up calls to seek help for potential heart problems.
The survey also highlighted that 72 percent of respondents had never consulted a medical professional about heart conditions, despite 68 percent considering heart health to be very important. The study revealed that individuals acknowledged the need to make improvements, with 51 percent admitting they should do more to maintain optimal heart health.
Rob Hobson, a registered and sports nutritionist with Healthspan, noted the contradiction between people’s awareness of the importance of heart health and their habits that are detrimental to it. Hobson highlighted the significance of simple dietary changes and the use of heart-specific supplements, such as Healthspan’s Love Your Heart range, to support heart health over time. The survey results indicated a lack of knowledge regarding appropriate supplements to support heart health.
The 10 heart health symptoms identified by Dr. Bakhai that are often ignored by Brits include dizziness upon standing up quickly, shortness of breath, difficulty bending down, palpitations, tightness of the chest, arm pain (especially in the neck or upper arms, often on the left side), difficulty standing up, chest discomfort (excluding tightness), swollen legs, and experiencing frequent extra or skipped heartbeats.
