10 lesser-known symptoms of heart disease that you cannot afford to ignore

Cardiovascular or heart disease is a leading cause of death in India and accounts for 17.8% of all deaths (according to the 2016 Global Burden of Disease Report). Significantly, the figures have risen by 53% as compared to 2005. Over the last 60 years, congenital heart disease (which affects the foetus in the womb) has also increased from 1% to almost 10% in urban areas and has gone from 1% to 4-6% in rural areas.

Types of heart disease
There are several types of heart disease, including congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease and arrhythmia. Congenital heart disease can be caused by genetic or environmental factors: mother having some illness or consuming certain drugs during the developmental phase. “If severe, it can cause intrauterine death or severe birth malformation,” says Dr Santosh Kumar Dora, senior cardiologist, Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai. While the heart has four valves, if one or more of them get affected, it leads to valvular stenosis or regurgitation. “It happens due to infection, chronic inflammation (rheumatic heart disease), degeneration or trauma to the heart valves,” says Dr Dora.

In cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle either gets thickened or thinned, or infiltrated and subsequently gets very weak in contraction. Coronary artery disease is the most common heart disease in adults and among the elderly population. The risk factors for it are smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Fatty plaques develop in the arteries supplying blood to heart muscle and when they grow in size, it leads to narrowing of the artery and restriction of blood supply. Arrhythmia causes the heart rate to go very fast or slow down.

Symptoms of heart disease
While most people are familiar with the common symptoms of heart disease, such as chest pain, breathlessness and palpitation, there are certain unexpected symptoms as well. Dr Abhijit Palshikar, HOD-Cardiology, Sahyadri Hospital Pune refers to the case of a 50-year-old patient who visited a dentist for jaw pain that he experienced while walking. “After a visit to a physician, he was referred to a cardiologist. A stress test and angiogram were conducted and symptoms proved to be related to the heart. Reports revealed that he had an 80% blockage in the heart,” says Dr Palshikar.

Here are some of the lesser known symptoms that you need to keep a watch for:

Dizziness
Swollen feet (oedema)
Extreme weakness
Jaw pain
Excessive sweating
Coughing
Indigestion/ loss of appetite
Snoring
Back pain
Swollen fingers