How to Identify Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease is also known as coronary atherosclerosis or Ischemic heart diseaset. Coronary arteries supply the heart with rich, oxygenated blood from the lungs. Coronary artery disease is a narrowing or hardening of these very vital arteries, which restricts the amount of oxygenated blood flowing into the heart.Three main arteries enter the heart, and if any of them become clogged or narrowed, the heart won't function at its fullest potential. Typically, the condition afflicts men and women over 40 years old, but younger people are also being diagnosed with the condition due to high-fat, high-cholesterol diets.Learning how to recognize and identify symptoms of coronary artery disease leads individuals to seek early treatment and prevent complications that may lead to heart attack, stroke or congestive heart failure.

Instructions

• 1

  Note odd sensations in the chest such as a burning, heavy or a squeezing feeling. In some cases, individuals believe they are feeling the effects of heartburn or acid indigestion when actually they are feeling symptoms of the effect of narrowed coronary arteries and the heart's reaction to decreased amounts of oxygen.

• 2

  Pay immediate attention to any indications of pain or spreading pain that originates in the chest and is also felt between the shoulder blades, the left arm (the closest arm to the heart) or pain in the jaw or neck. These are classic signs of a heart attack.

• 3

  Take your pulse. Often, an irregular heartbeat is a classic indication that the heart muscle is not functioning properly. If you notice an irregular heartbeat, or experience a pounding or racing heart for no obvious reason, seek emergency care immediately.

• 4

  Listen to your body. If you just haven't been feeling 'up to par' lately, or are experiencing increasing bouts of lethargy or weakness, visit your family health care provider. Often, individuals don't experience clear-cut signs of coronary artery disease before moderate to significant damage has already occurred.