Surgeon reveals how to tell if your heart is weak or strong and explains the 'red flags' to look out for
A heart doctor has highlighted some key 'red flags' to look out for which could indicate that your ticker isn't in great shape.
Cardiovascular surgeon Dr Jeremy London has racked up thousands of followers for sharing his views on heart health - while making it clear that he's not issuing medical advice.
Taking to TikTok (@drjeremylondon) last week, the doctor explained 'how can you tell if your heart is weak or strong'.
Shortness of breath
Dr London said that having shortness of breath while walking could be a sign that your heart is weak.
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The British Heart Foundation notes that it's 'important to take breathlessness seriously' and to contact your doctor 'as soon as possible'.
"Common, treatable heart conditions such as coronary heart disease (the cause of heart attacks), heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation can all cause breathlessness," it adds.
Unable to lay flat and breathe comfortably
Another physical way you can examine yourself is to see if you can lay flat and breathe normally.
If you can't, then it might be a sign of orthopnea AKA you have a shortness of breath when you lie down which goes away when you sit or stand up.
Orthopnea is a sign of having excess fluid in your lungs and is usually caused by a heart condition.
Swollen legs
The doc from the US is issuing the same guidance given by the NHS, in that having swollen ankles and legs can class as symptoms of heart failure.
When your heart is weak and not working as well, blood flow backs up in the veins in your legs.
This basically causes fluid to build up in your tissues and causes swelling in your legs and stomach.
"Although signs of many different heart conditions, these should be red flags," Dr London said.
"The question is simply answered many times with an echocardiogram or an ultrasound probe that's placed on the chest.
"This typically can measure ejection fraction, which is the percentage of blood that's ejected from the heart with each beat. Normal is 65 to 70 percent.
"If it's markedly decreased from that, that could be an indication of heart failure or a weak heart.
"In my world of cardiac surgery, heart function is the single most important determinant of how patients do with surgery.
"Patients with strong hearts do much better than patients with weak hearts."
Anish Vij