Symtoms of Ischaemic Heart Disease

Chest pain. The pain that usually characterises Ischaemic Heart Disease is described as tightness in the chest which can occasionally radiate to the base of the neck, the jaw, arms (normally the left arm) or back. It is sometimes accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness, cold sweats, nausea and vomiting, palpitations or even loss of consciousness.

It should be taken into account that pain arising from Ischaemic Heart Disease does not always present such typical characteristics, particularly in as women, the elderly and patients with diabetes. In some cases Ischaemic Heart Disease can present with pain in the upper abdomen, whereas on other occasions shortness of breath is the only symptom. The characteristics of the pain are similar in women and men, with chest pain being the most common presentation. However, women tend to report more accompanying symptoms (sweating, shortness of breath, palpitations, indigestion, fatigue, etc.).

Women are faced with greater delays when requesting health care for a number of reasons: ignorance of symptoms; not identifying or recognising susceptibility to suffering a coronary event attributable to cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia or smoking), influence of female gender roles in society; or because ischaemic heart disease at the population level is considered a male problem. 

If you notice any discomfort in your chest, even if it is not one of the typical symptoms described above, then you should visit your doctor as soon as possible.

Shortness of breath (dyspnoea).The heart becomes weaker and can no longer pump blood towards the rest of the body. Therefore blood stagnates in the lungs, which fill with fluid, and it becomes harder to breathe. This is one of the most significant complications because it indicates that the infarction (or angina) is severe.

 Palpitations. Patients notice a strong, or offbeat, heartbeat in their chest which could be secondary to an arrhythmia. There are many types of palpitation of varying severity, but they all tend to produce a rapid pulse and a fluttering or thumping feeling in the chest

Sweating, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms may all appear together or individually. They are caused by the body’s response, specifically that of the nervous system, to the heart muscle ischaemia which represents a serious injury.

Loss of consciousness. In the context of an infarction a loss of consciousness is due to problems with the heart’s electrical conduction or the presence of severe arrhythmias, because it loses all capacity to pump blood (cardiac arrest). The most severe manifestation of this symptom is cardiac arrest.