Heart Disease Signs and Symptoms

Learn to recognize the symptoms of heart disease

All too often a heart attack strikes out of the blue. These events are shocking, especially for younger adults. But when I talk with heart attack survivors after the fact, I find out that most had an inkling something was wrong, yet dismissed the symptoms.

As it turns out, there is no one definitive symptom that signifies heart disease. In fact, some people with advanced heart disease experience no specific symptoms at all. But there is a range of physical signs that, when added together, suggest the existence of heart disease. Possible signs and symptoms of heart disease include:

• Tightness or squeezing sensation in the chest, or any kind of chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Heart palpitations
• Light-headedness, dizziness, faintness, or fainting

No matter what your age or family history, if you begin experiencing the above symptoms, you should be evaluated immediately for heart disease. Find out about the array of heart disease tests I use when evaluating and treating my own patients.

More Dr. Sinatra Advice on Heart Disease Tests

Undergoing heart disease testing but unsure what your scores indicate? Get my Sinatra Smart Zone values for a wide array of heart health tests to ensure optimal heart health.

Want to read detailed questions and answers about different heart disease tests? Check out the Q&A section of my Heart Disease Tests Health Center.