When the heart is bad, what are the symptoms. Signs of heart problems: how to understand that it's time to see a cardiologist. Why Heart Problems Shouldn't Be Ignored

Cardiovascular diseases have a lot of precursors and most early symptoms, many of which can be easily confused with signs of other diseases. If you feel or notice at least one of the symptoms listed below, you do not need to panic, but you should not dismiss the warning signs either - it is important to see a doctor in time, because vascular diseases can really be prevented with the help of proper prevention.

Cough

Usually, a cough speaks of colds and flu, but with heart problems, expectorants do not help. It is especially worth alerting if a dry cough appears in a lying position.

Weakness and pallor

Functional Disorders nervous system- absent-mindedness, increased fatigue, poor sleep, anxiety, tremor of the limbs - frequent signs of heart neurosis.

Pallor is usually observed with anemia, vasospasm, inflammatory heart disease in rheumatism, aortic valve insufficiency. In severe forms of pulmonary heart failure, the color of the lips, cheeks, nose, earlobes and limbs changes, which visually turn blue.

Temperature increase

Inflammatory processes (myocarditis, pericarditis, endocarditis) and myocardial infarction are accompanied by fever, sometimes even fever.

Pressure

40,000 die every year due to cerebral hemorrhage due to high blood pressure. At the same time, if you follow the rules for controlling pressure and do not provoke its increase, then you can avoid not only feeling unwell, but also more serious problems.

Sustained increase in blood pressure above 140/90 is a serious factor for concern and suspicion of risk cardiovascular disease.

Too rare (less than 50 beats per minute), frequent (more than 90-100 beats per minute) or irregular pulse should also alert, such deviations may indicate coronary disease, a violation of the conduction system of the heart and the regulation of cardiac activity.

Puffiness

Severe swelling, especially towards the end of the day, can occur due to an abundance of salty foods, kidney problems, including heart failure. This happens because the heart cannot cope with pumping blood, it accumulates in lower limbs causing swelling.

Dizziness and motion sickness

The first symptoms of an impending stroke may be frequent dizziness, but they are also a manifestation of a disease of the middle ear and visual analyzer.

Headache, especially throbbing, and a feeling of nausea may indicate an increase in blood pressure.

Dyspnea

Feeling short of breath, severe shortness of breath are symptoms that may indicate angina and heart failure. Sometimes there is an asthmatic variant of myocardial infarction, accompanied by a feeling of suffocation. Only a specialist can distinguish lung disease from cardiac dyspnea.

Nausea and vomiting

Vascular complications are very easily confused with gastritis or an exacerbation of an ulcer, the symptoms of which are nausea and vomiting. The fact is that the lower part of the heart is located close to the stomach, so the symptoms can be deceiving and even resemble food poisoning.

Pain resembling osteochondrosis

Pain between the shoulder blades, in the neck, left arm, shoulder, wrist, even in the jaw can be a sure sign of not only osteochondrosis or myositis, but also heart problems.

A symptom of angina pectoris may be the occurrence of such symptoms after physical exertion or emotional upheaval. If pain occurs even during rest and after the use of special cardiac drugs, such a symptom may indicate an approaching heart attack.

Chest pain

A feeling of burning and squeezing, obvious, dull, severe or periodic pain, spasm - all these sensations in the chest are the most certain. With spasm of the coronary vessels, the pain is burning and sharp, which is a sign of angina pectoris, which often occurs even at rest, for example at night. An attack of angina pectoris is a harbinger of myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease (CHD).

Severe prolonged pain behind the sternum, radiating to left hand, neck and back is characteristic of developing myocardial infarction. Chest pain in myocardial infarction is extremely severe, up to loss of consciousness. By the way, one of the most common causes of a heart attack is atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels.

Chest pain that radiates to the back of the head, back, or groin is a symptom of an aneurysm or aortic dissection.

Dull and undulating pain in the region of the heart, which does not spread to other areas of the body, against the background of an increase in temperature, indicates the development of pericarditis.

However, acute chest pain may also indicate other diseases, for example, be a symptom of intercostal neuralgia, herpes zoster, sciatica in the neck or chest, spontaneous pneumothorax, or esophageal spasm.

Strong heartbeat

A strong heartbeat can occur with increased physical activity, as a result of emotional arousal of a person or due to overeating. But a strong heartbeat is very often an early harbinger of illness. of cardio-vascular system.

A strong heartbeat manifests itself as a feeling of malfunctioning of the heart, it seems that the heart almost “pops out” of the chest or freezes. Attacks can be accompanied by weakness, discomfort in the heart, fainting.

Such symptoms may indicate tachycardia, angina pectoris, heart failure, impaired blood supply to organs.

In the presence of at least one of the listed symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor without delay and undergo studies that will reveal the true cause of the ailment. One of the most effective methods treatment of any disease is its early diagnosis and timely prevention.

An unprepared person can run after health and get sick. How to lose weight and exercise, eat meat, drink coffee and wine without consequences for the heart? Olga Yevtukh, head of the outpatient department of the cardiology center of the 2nd City Clinical Hospital, answered TUT.BY's questions.

Olga Evtukh has been in medicine since 1987. Mom offered to enter BSMU when Olga was still at school. After graduating from the university, she was distributed to the clinic and realized that medicine is a vocation. She came to cardiology in 1997 and specializes in functional diagnostics using stress tests, ECG, ultrasound, and other equipment.

"Patients appear once and for all life"

— Cardiology is an elite area in medicine, a very interesting and relevant specialty: more than 50% of people suffer from cardiological diseases. In the world, cardiology is developing by leaps and bounds, in Belarus, cardiosurgery, X-ray endovascular interventions are especially active. Recommendations for diagnosis and treatment in cardiology change with an interval of 2-3 years.

Here patients appear once and for all life. You lead them for months, years, sometimes decades. You end up meeting the whole family. Why? In the family, the woman controls how the man is treated and follows the recommendations of the doctor.

- What does heart health depend on most: heredity, age or lifestyle factors?

There are things you can and cannot influence. It is impossible to influence heredity, therefore, in a conversation with a patient, be sure to ask if the parents have cardiovascular diseases. Especially acute: heart attacks, strokes in mom up to 65 years, in dad - up to 55. It is important whether there were early deaths in blood relatives in the male line.

Cardiovascular disease also depends on age: the older you are, the higher the likelihood that your blood pressure will rise or develop coronary heart disease.

And there are factors that you need to think about from an early age. Recently, it is believed that prevention should be started even during fetal development in the mother. It is important whether the child is full-term, how the mother behaved in the period before birth. Mother's smoking is a disaster for the unborn child, passive smoking is no less dangerous. The health of a pregnant woman is not only herself, but also her environment.

Factors that you can influence yourself are nutrition, lifestyle, lack of bad habits, weight and body mass index. Recently, the meaning of waist circumference has been widely discussed! Blood pressure, blood glucose levels, physical activity are important.

All this is called a healthy lifestyle. But it is more difficult to comply with than taking pills. Many say: "I want to eat what I want, tell me which pills to take."

“Walking, cycling and even garden beds are welcome”

- Is it still useful to play sports and how to do it so as not to harm yourself?

- Sports, or rather, physical education are very useful for everyone. You need to walk at least 4-5 kilometers daily or every other day (often they say about 10,000 steps) at a moderately accelerated pace, you can do it in 2-3 steps. This pace causes a feeling of light heartbeat or slight shortness of breath. You can replace walking with exercise.

Both a healthy person and a sick person should have physical activity, the need for this piece of life is not even discussed. The difference is that the patient - after he consults with the doctor.

We check with Olga if running is suitable.

- Running may be suitable, but it is rather for young people who are used to it, for those whose life has had sport since their youth. At 50, you don't have to start running. Here is physical education for 10 minutes in the morning - p please. But why did I mention walking in the first place? Because it does not require special equipment or costs. Walking is something that anyone can do and in any conditions, there would be a desire.

In general, any kind is welcome. physical activity, which is preferable for you: skates, skis, a bicycle ... If someone rides a bus or subway, you can get off at a stop earlier. Even gardening is suitable if it is fun and part of life.

The heart is a muscular pump, and this organ has its own vessels. They train and develop during physical activity. Collaterals, or circulatory bypasses, open to bypass some parts of the vessels that are currently sick.

That is, by walking, you train your heart. If something happens, you can survive it with the least loss for him.

- Is it possible to prepare the heart if you know that you will have a bad day - for example, a funeral? Or you move and change the climate. Drink herbs, sleep more?

“I have never asked such a question. But you can look more broadly: the events that you list are stressful situations for the heart and the body as a whole, and any stress is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. According to the scale of gradation of stress, the most severe are the loss of relatives, serious illnesses or minor and protracted problems. Prevention? Probably the same healthy lifestyle. Stress resistance is also increased by B vitamins.

“The problem is in fast food, sausages and fast food”

Let's talk about food. What foods are most harmful to the heart?

- There is the concept of a hypocholesterol diet, or a diet with low cholesterol. The principles can be said very simply: lean meat, boiled or stewed (chicken, veal, beef).

What about rabbit meat?

— The rabbit is already exotic. If pork, then lean, but if fish, then vice versa: sea, and the fatter, the better. It contains polyunsaturated fatty acids.

But fat should be limited. When they ask if you can eat it, I say: a small piece of unsalted, if you really like it. To not lose the joy of life. But, probably, today there are not so many people who have lard as a staple food. Basically, the problem is in fast food and instant products: sausages, sausages, boiled and smoked sausages.

You need to eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, up to 400 grams per day - a large bowl. Vegetables should be eaten with meat. You need to limit flour, pasta, potatoes. If a side dish, then oatmeal or rice. If cereals - black bread.

Of course, you need to limit alcohol. Although, in my personal opinion, it should be present in life, it is an element of primary prevention of atherosclerosis, but here the question of dose arises: no more than 15 grams in terms of 100% alcohol for a woman and 30 grams for a man. At the same time, there should be at least one, and preferably two, “bright” days without alcohol per week.

How many times a day can you eat "unhealthy" food?

- If you do not have a tendency to be overweight, then why not have a cup of coffee with cookies? You will not eat cookies of 200, 300, 500 grams. These are easily digestible carbohydrates that need to be limited.

You just need to consider what and how much you eat. After all, a woman’s menstrual function ends, the amount of estrogen decreases, and she goes to the same “starting line” with men in terms of the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Women begin to get sick 10-20 years later.

Estrogens protect as long as a woman can continue childbirth. Therefore, if we talk about the number of cookies, then at some age you will swallow them unnoticed. And at 45 each will be postponed.

Vegetarianism will not save the heart from aging, and coffee will not harm

- An important question from office workers: how many cups of coffee can an average person drink a day who does not complain about his heart?

- Coffee is not considered a harmful product, it tones up and does not contribute to the development of coronary disease. They talk about the amount of up to five cups. Why not, if you are absolutely healthy, do not have a tendency to increase pressure and do not drink coffee with a cigarette.

But it is better in the morning, because coffee activates and can cause insomnia. In case of health problems, coffee should be limited: only in the morning, a maximum of two cups, if you are a fan of this drink. After all, it increases the heart rate, increases blood pressure, increases vascular tone. And if you have had a heart attack, you have hypertension, then all your treatment is aimed at lowering your blood pressure and pulse.

We also ask Olga what she thinks about vegetarianism.

“Vegetarianism is a change of mindset, a philosophy. If you know why you need it, then why not? But you need to study the problem, there must be someone who will “lead” you. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is for a healthy person. If you have a lot of diseases and you go to extremes, it is not clear what it will lead to.

- I won’t tell you how to get fat (laughs). And to lose weight - with that hypocholesterol diet that I spoke about, in addition, increase the amount motor activity and reduce food intake. Many people lose weight well if they stop eating after a certain time in the evening: for example, after six, if it doesn’t work out, after seven, eight, and so on, gradually raising the bar.

Does your heart not suffer?

- No need to lose weight quickly. First, you need to stabilize the weight and stop gaining weight. In general, the slower you lose weight, the more stable the weight loss process. Eating behavior must change. If you change your eating behavior and slowly lose weight, your heart will only be happy.

“If you are healthy, you don’t feel how it works”

- But how to understand that something is wrong with you and your heart, but not to panic about every occasion?

- There are complaints that speak of a threat to health and life, they need to be known. A typical picture when you can’t think is if a person clutches his chest and tries to inhale.

By and large, we are talking about signs of acute coronary syndrome, it is also called angina pectoris. This is a sudden pressing pain in the chest, it requires a visit to a doctor or often an ambulance. If you do not provide timely assistance, then mortality can reach up to 20-25%.

In this case, the heart does not always hurt in the region of the heart. In general, signs of cardiovascular disease can be headaches or dizziness, discomfort in the chest, arrhythmias and interruptions, palpitations, swelling. Sudden loss of consciousness also does not always indicate problems in the brain. And in any case, you need to see a doctor.

It is necessary to pay attention to the appearance of shortness of breath - a feeling of lack of air with little physical exertion. It is expected when jogging, but you need to think if you consider yourself healthy, but have to stop when climbing one floor, because there is nothing to breathe.

- There is an opinion that healthy man does not feel his heart. Is it so?

- It means that if you are healthy, you do not feel how it works.

"Men get sick more often"

- Is unexpected death due to a detached blood clot predictable?

- By and large, it is predictable if a person turns to a doctor. A person, especially a man over 40 years of age, should regularly consult a general practitioner for a minimum examination: a general blood and urine test, biochemical analysis blood with the determination of the level of cholesterol, glucose, ECG. If there are complaints from the heart - a deeper study: maybe stress tests, if there are indications - and ultrasound.

But there is such a thing as sudden cardiac death. This does not mean that the clot broke off and flew somewhere. This means that an atherosclerotic plaque has been deposited in the coronary vessels of the heart and the plaque cover has “exploded”. Moreover, the plaque can cover up to 50% of the vessel, but you will feel something only if, for example, you go to the mountains with a backpack.

When the plaque ruptures, a blood clot forms in its place and blocks the flow of blood in the vessel. In fact, I'm telling you how a heart attack develops when a violation of blood flow leads to the death of the heart muscle. The plaque has a lipid core and a lid. The lipid core is cholesterol.

According to the doctor, the fact that men are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases is not a myth:

“But women are catching up with them and even ahead of them by fifty. On the other hand, men have more risk factors: for example, they make up the bulk of smokers. Men are examined less often, draw less attention to themselves, although they may have complaints for a long time. They are simply not up to it. Nevertheless, they feel young and strong, they turn when someone from the inner circle is very frightened - they die or get sick.

“700 people are annually taken to the dispensary after suffering a heart attack”

Olga said that there is such a device - an aggregometer, which determines platelet aggregation. Such studies have always been performed, but they are time-consuming and take more than 60 minutes. And sometimes a decision needs to be made quickly. There is nothing new in this equipment: in Europe they have been working with it since 2005, in Russia somewhere since 2011, in Belarus for about two to three years.

— The meaning of the aggregometer, which, by the way, was recently acquired by our cardiological center, is that the analysis is done quickly, within 6-10 minutes. The technique is simple, no special training is required, and the result is not affected by the human factor.

What is it for? For the treatment of patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention or patients with acute coronary syndrome. They may have a stent placed to support the vessel and allow blood to pass through.

The stent is a kind of metal frame, and platelets react to it like a foreign body, which can make the patient's condition even worse than before the operation. To prevent this from happening, the patient must take a double antiplatelet therapy for a year, which slows down platelet aggregation.
But it turned out that in 25% of cases it does not work. And without research, you cannot identify these patients and continue to treat according to the protocol.

- Are there many patients with such problems?

– In our center, about 700 people are annually taken to the dispensary after a heart attack, plus patients with chronic ischemic disease hearts undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. This is a huge problem. And the equipment that we have purchased allows us to determine the condition of the blood and sensitivity to therapy at the very beginning.

Every year, heart disease kills up to 18 million people of all ages. The lion's share of these deaths could have been prevented if the impending problem was noticed in time and a doctor was consulted.

Unfortunately, it's not that easy. Cardiac failures are often disguised as a slight malaise or features of the body. Here is a list of not always obvious symptoms that indicate possible diseases hearts.

Especially vigilant should be people over 60 years old, as well as those who have excess weight, diabetes, hypertension or high level cholesterol.

Discomfort in the chest

It is impossible to describe the feeling clearly. Someone feels a slight pain, someone feels pressure or tightness, others complain of a burning sensation or tingling. In any case, if from time to time you feel chest something unusual, you need to contact a therapist and get a referral for an electrocardiogram and an ultrasound of the heart.

This is how vascular diseases that supply our main organ with blood, or a developing heart attack, make themselves felt.

If the pain is severe and lasts longer than a few minutes, call an ambulance immediately.

The good news is that 80-90% of chest pain is not related to the heart. But to make sure of this, it is better to visit a doctor as soon as possible.

Loss of appetite, nausea, stomach pain or heaviness

Of course, indigestion can be for many reasons that are not related to the heart. However, sometimes digestive problems are triggered by the fact that the digestive system receives less blood than usual. And the worsened blood flow is a sign of poor heart function.

If you feel nauseous without visible reasons and especially if you are experiencing chest discomfort and other symptoms from this list, a visit to a therapist is a must!

Pain radiating to the left arm

The nerves from the heart and the nerves from the left hand send signals to the same area of the brain. As a result, the brain does not always correctly understand what exactly hurts - the heart or the limb.

If you overstressed your left arm in training, hit it, or simply waved unsuccessfully, the discomfort is completely predictable. But if strong pain occurs for no apparent reason, this is a cause for alarm. Doctors call it a classic symptom of a heart attack.

The American Heart Association recommends calling an ambulance if a sudden pain in the left arm does not go away or worsens within a few minutes.

If the sensation is more brief but familiar, be sure to see a doctor.

Pain in the teeth or lower jaw

Another example is when the brain is not able to accurately identify what exactly hurts - the heart or the teeth. Fortunately, in most cases, tooth or jaw pain has a relatively harmless origin: tooth decay, or you have pulled your jaw, or you have been blown out. But if there seems to be no reason, and the teeth are regularly whining, it is worth checking with a cardiologist.

In clinical practice, cases have been recorded when people were removed tooth after tooth, trying to save them from pain, which was actually a sign of cardiac disorders.

Brief dizziness or feeling like you are losing your bearings

There are many reasons that can cause instant weakness. For example, you haven't eaten in a long time. Or getting up too quickly from the couch after sitting for a long time.

But if such sensations occur regularly, try to get to the doctor as soon as possible. They talk about the fact that the heart can not cope with pumping blood to the brain. This may be a symptom of an impending stroke.

Constant fatigue

A weak heart cannot provide adequate blood circulation. Because of this, organs and tissues begin to experience deficiency. nutrients and oxygen. In order to survive, the body reduces the blood supply to less important organs - primarily the limbs, and directs blood to more important ones - the heart, brain, lungs.

It becomes difficult for you to perform the usual activities - for example, you don’t have the strength to take a shower, it’s hard to wash the dishes, it seems incredibly difficult to climb stairs. And even rest does not bring cheerfulness.

If this situation is familiar to you and has been going on for several days or longer, consult a cardiologist so as not to miss the growing heart problems.

Edema of the legs

Due to impaired blood circulation in the limbs, the lymph flow is disturbed - the removal of fluid from the tissues. The legs are especially affected by this, fluid accumulates under the skin, swelling appears.

If swelling of the legs has become your constant problem, a consultation on this topic with a therapist or cardiologist is required.

Protracted cough

In most cases, a cough is a common companion of a cold. But if you safely got rid of it a couple of weeks ago, and this symptom does not go away, this is a clear indication to see a doctor.

A prolonged cough can be a companion of allergies or bronchitis. But sometimes it is also provoked by heart failure, which makes it difficult for the outflow of moisture from the lungs.

A characteristic sign of a "heart" cough is pinkish or white mucus. If you notice something like this - run to the cardiologist!

Unmotivated shortness of breath

Shortness of breath is the first sign that there is little oxygen in the blood. The most common cause is physical activity. Muscles need a lot of oxygen to work, and they literally suck it out of the blood. To compensate for this loss, the brain instructs the lungs to breathe faster.

Excess weight, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, and being in a stuffy room can also lead to shortness of breath. But if such a symptom appears for no apparent reason and more often than before, and especially if it is accompanied by constant fatigue, chest discomfort and other signs from our list, you definitely need to see a cardiologist.

There is a strong possibility that the lack of oxygen is caused by poor blood circulation, which in turn is caused by irregularities in the work of the heart.

Loud snoring

If you snore too loudly, it may be a sign of sleep apnea - a short pause in breathing during sleep.

Sleep apnea has a devastating effect on the cardiovascular system. First, it leads to hypoxia of the heart muscle. Secondly, sleep apnea increases the risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure), which further complicates the work of the main human organ. As a result, an overloaded cardiovascular system can fail at any time.

works somehow "wrong"? Perhaps you are mistaken, or maybe it really is heart problems that make themselves felt.

Why can't heart problems be ignored?

It can be said that the most important of our organs is heart. It is the "engine" that keeps us alive.

When symptoms of heart problems appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

1. Chest pain

Chest pain is associated with various health problems. May indicate a heart attack severe pain in the chest, with a feeling of heaviness and constriction.

In a heart attack, or coronary artery spasm, the heart receives too little oxygen.

2. Arrhythmia

Heart contractions have a fairly stable rhythm. When the heart is working normally, we usually do not even notice them.

If you notice that the pulse has become very frequent or, conversely, has become too slow, or changes in the rhythm of the heart contractions occur, consult a doctor, because such an arrhythmia may indicate heart problems.

3. Apnea

Sometimes this symptom goes unnoticed for a long time, but may indicate that heart problems are taking place.

Stopping breathing (this is how “apnea” is translated) in a dream for a while can cause a heart attack because it prevents the brain and heart from getting enough oxygen.

This symptom must be paid attention to, even if it appeared relatively recently.

4. Swelling of the legs and feet

Are you eating a lot of salt? Have you walked a lot in recent days? In both cases, the legs and feet may swell a little. However, in a few days (if these factors are eliminated), they return to normal.

But if your legs and feet are constantly swollen, it could be symptom of fluid retention caused by heart failure or deterioration of the arteries.

5. Shortness of breath

If we constantly feel that we do not have enough air, we experience shortness of breath and feel it is not normal.

In such a situation, you need to analyze your habits and your activity. If you have changed your habits and your physical activity has increased, feeling short of breath may be natural.

6. Sexual problems

One of the first signs of heart disease may be problems with sexual activity, especially if the person is between 40 and 50 years old.

If you have any other medical conditions or are over 50 years of age, seek the advice of a trusted physician.

It will help you figure out if problems with sexual life are related to heart disease or something else.

7. Broken heart syndrome

This syndrome (also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy) is so named because it can be triggered by emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one.

With it, a person experiences the same pain as with a heart attack, but this temporary symptom, which often occurs in healthy people.

This syndrome does not have such "harbingers" as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, malnutrition or a sedentary lifestyle.

The cause of broken heart syndrome is considered to be an increase in blood levels of catecholamines (mainly adrenaline).

Such an increase leads to high anxiety and stress. At the same time, the body begins to produce substances facilitating his return to normal.

Some treatment is also needed. Fortunately, in 90% of cases of this syndrome, the functions of the heart are completely restored.

Try to lead a healthy lifestyle: eat right, maintain a normal level of physical activity and control your emotions.
If you notice any strange symptom, do not hesitate to contact a specialist. Our heart usually "signals" us that it has problems. Under no circumstances should these signals be ignored.
Write down the symptoms you notice regularly. This will help doctors make a quick diagnosis.

Sometimes a single blood test is enough to detect heart disease.

Unfortunately, heart problems can appear not only in adults - every year cases of cardiac abnormalities are increasingly common in infancy and childhood. Even careful and scrupulous observation during pregnancy and compliance with all the recommendations of an obstetrician-gynecologist does not guarantee a favorable cardio anamnesis for the unborn baby - ultrasound diagnostics cannot always reveal minor deviations that will indicate the presence of problems, therefore, 100% exclude cases of congenital anomalies in the heart area impossible. And acquired problems with the cardiovascular system are not at all uncommon in modern pediatrics: frequent colds, tonsillitis, flu and other seemingly completely unrelated diseases can put a serious strain on the heart muscle, causing all kinds of deviations in children.

Therefore, it is extremely important to determine in time how well the baby’s heart works and, at the slightest suspicion of a violation that has arisen, seek help from an experienced cardiologist in order to exclude the possibility of serious anomalies. What to look for when evaluating the work of the cardiovascular system of a child? What symptoms are considered "wake-up calls" for a heart problem? The basics of self-diagnosis of children's cardiac disorders will help to deal with these exciting issues.

Risk Factors Contributing to Heart Problems in Infants

Heart disease can also occur on its own - it is not at all necessary that they be preceded by any violations. However, you should be especially wary if the following situations were observed in the anamnesis during the mother’s pregnancy and in infancy:

The presence of chronic diseases in the mother. Pregnancy is a huge stress for a woman's body, so it is not surprising that in these 9 months everything, even hidden problems, are exacerbated. Such pathologies affect not only the well-being of the expectant mother, but also the developmental features of the child, and one of the first to suffer is the cardiovascular system.

Infectious processes during pregnancy. A heavy viral load directly affects the heart of the fetus, so expectant mothers should be careful during the period of seasonal morbidity and when in contact with the sick, especially in the first trimester, when the laying and formation of the baby's organs is underway.
Bad habits mother. The use of alcohol, drugs, smoking while carrying a baby can be a "trigger" in the development of heart problems, so all negative effects should be excluded - only in this way can you increase the likelihood of having a healthy baby.
Difficult childbirth. Heart problems in newborns associated with complications during childbirth reach 40% of the total number of cases. Moreover, it is quite difficult to insure against such a turn of events: the only thing that can be done is to visit the gynecologist regularly, undergo all planned examinations and properly prepare for the delivery process.
Bad environmental situation. Statistics show that children living in polluted industrial areas are much more likely to experience heart disease than their peers from rural areas.
Social environment. Babies from intrauterine life begin to feel the stress and nervous shocks that are happening around. If an unfavorable psychological situation reigns in the family, the mother experiences stress during pregnancy, and then the newborn, it is not surprising that later the baby will face heart ailments.

Any negative emotion, tension and negativity affect the baby's sensitive vessels, so the primary task of parents is to eliminate all irritating factors that can provoke cardio disorders.

Signs indicating congenital heart disease

Babies who have just been born cannot yet complain of characteristic chest pain, arrhythmia attacks and other symptoms associated with childhood heart pathologies. However, attentive parents and experienced pediatricians can recognize the presence of problems by characteristics that will be observed in the crumbs:

Low weight gain. Many congenital anomalies of the cardiosystem manifest themselves primarily as a delay in physical development, the most obvious factor of which is adequate weight gain. If the child is good nutrition in the first months of life, he adds less than 400 grams, looks lethargic, weakened and exhausted, it is worth visiting a cardiologist urgently - in this case, only a thorough examination will help confirm or refute an exciting diagnosis.

Blueness of the skin. Poor blood supply to the peripheral vessels and various vascular anomalies lead to a low supply of oxygen to the skin, due to which it acquires a pronounced purple-cyanotic tint. Cyanosis can cover the entire body, or it can only appear in the most sensitive areas (nasolabial triangle, on the lips, under the nails, etc.), but in any case, having noticed such a symptom, it is worth checking the condition of the child's heart.
Dyspnea. The frequency and depth of breathing will also help to recognize cardiac problems. If the baby breathes superficially, shallowly and often, but at the same time he does not have respiratory and catarrhal diseases, it is worth paying attention to the cardiovascular system - in some cases, this is how cardio disorders manifest themselves.

Tachycardia. The most obvious sign that helps to understand if the crumbs have abnormalities in the work of the heart is heart rate (heart rate). Normally, the pulse of a newborn up to 3 months varies in the range of 100-150, decreasing to 90-120 beats per minute by six months. By measuring this indicator in dynamics, one can assess how well the heart copes with the function assigned to it.
Fast fatiguability. If the baby sucks sluggishly at the breast, does not show interest in food, looks tired and does not want to actively move (naturally, in accordance with age norms), you should think about the upcoming visit to the pediatrician. Such behavior can be characteristic feature psychotype of the child, and may signal the presence of heart problems.
Noise in the heart. During the examination, each pediatrician must listen to the work of the heart and blood vessels in order to exclude the presence of noise and other pathological sounds. At the slightest suspicion of pathology, echocardiography is prescribed, which can more thoroughly determine the nature of the noise that has arisen. Organic sounds help to recognize serious malformations, and functional sounds indicate the rapid growth of the body, so they should not frighten parents.

Symptoms of diseases of the cardiovascular system in children of preschool and school age

Older children can already tell their parents what discomforts bother them, so it becomes easier to understand whether the cardiovascular system is working normally. In this case, the following may be a cause for concern:

Discomfort, soreness in the chest. If a child complains that he has pain behind the sternum, heaviness and pressure are felt, you should definitely contact a cardiologist. Do not forget that the child still cannot clearly articulate his feelings: some say that it hurts in the chest, others describe the pain as a burning sensation, others complain of heaviness and discomfort, and it can manifest itself both during exercise and in a state of absolute rest. Therefore, for any of possible problems need to be vigilant.

Stomach problems. Often children confuse heart pain with stomach upset. If the baby complains of heartburn, bloating, nausea, and attacks occur quite often and are not associated with a change in diet, this can serve as an indicator of cardiopathology.
Frequent bouts of dizziness. In principle, weakness and dizziness are absolutely not related to vascular anomalies - perhaps the child simply ate badly or reacted too violently to the change in weather. However, often recurring cases, especially those that are prolonged or accompanied by fainting, should alert attentive parents - this may indicate that the heart cannot cope with the blood supply to the body.

Pain radiating to the left arm. Such a symptom indicates serious and protracted heart problems, which, nevertheless, occur not only in adults, but also in babies. If discomfort affects the sternum, left shoulder and arm, it is urgent to sound the alarm.
Cold sweat. Severe sweating is most often associated with a decrease in immunity, but if cold, sticky sweat appears for no apparent reason, you can suspect a heart problem in a child.
Snore. Normally, the child should not make loud sounds during sleep. If he snores, sniffs or whistles, but nasal breathing is not difficult, you may need to pay attention to the state of his cardiovascular system, undergo an additional examination and take tests.

Coughing. Most often, cough syndrome accompanies colds, but if the virus is defeated, and the cough does not want to go away, you should think about whether the lungs get enough oxygen - this condition can be directly related to cardiac or vascular abnormalities.
Puffiness. The appearance of edema is more typical for adults who are accustomed to malnutrition, while in babies such a symptom is a clear sign of ill health. If the heart does not pump blood as intensively as a growing body requires, fluid begins to stagnate in the limbs, which leads to swelling.
Fatigue. Usually, the amount of children's energy can only be envied - little "energizers" are ready to jump, run and jump around the clock. If the baby refuses outdoor games, suffers from shortness of breath or weakness even with little physical exertion and tries in every possible way to avoid activities that require a certain activity, it is worth considering - is this a feature of his character or an alarming symptom?

Diseases associated with cardiac activity occupy one of the leading positions among childhood pathologies. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of the heart from infancy, carefully monitor its health and, at the slightest suspicion, visit the attending physician - such foresight can save you from more serious cardio disorders!