Recognize signs of heart disease through breathing

Heart and circulatory disease, which includes conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure, is one of the biggest killers. In the UK alone, heart disease accounts for around a quarter of all deaths.

Among them, coronary heart disease is one of the most dangerous diseases. It occurs when the amount of blood carrying oxygen to the heart muscle is reduced or blocked. This phenomenon causes the heart to work harder, leading to angina, heart failure or heart attack.

Spotting potential symptoms of coronary heart disease early can be life-saving. One of the main signs is feeling short of breath, according to the UK's National Health Service.

Feeling short of breath is often associated with poor physical fitness or conditions such as asthma. However, it can be a sign of coronary heart disease. This condition makes you feel like you can't get enough air into your lungs, causing you to feel short of breath.

If the heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood around the organs, the body responds by breathing faster to try to get more oxygen, making you feel breathless, explains the British Heart Foundation.

Additionally, the heart not pumping as well as it should can cause fluid to build up in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe, especially during physical activity. This frightening feeling can cause people with the symptoms to have anxious thoughts that they are about to die.

In addition to shortness of breath, other key signs of coronary heart disease include:

• Angina
• Pain all over the body
• Feel like fainting
• Feeling nauseous

In addition, signs of a heart attack include:

• Pain in other parts of the body: It may feel like the pain is spreading from the chest to the arms, jaw, neck, back, or stomach
• Dizzy
• Sweat
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath

If you experience any symptoms of heart disease, you should seek medical help.