Heart surgeon reveals the three warning signs that you may have a weak heart
A heart surgeon has revealed three warning signs that you could have a weak heart – and while some symptoms may seem harmless, they can be quite serious.
The crucial information was shared in a new TikTok video posted Tuesday by Dr. Jeremy London, based in Savannah, Georgia.
Dr. London often uses social media to share his expertise, and in this latest video he explained how to tell if your heart is weak or strong.
“Like most things in medicine, it should start with the history and physical examination,” Dr. began. London the video.
However, there are three things to watch out for: shortness of breath while walking, difficulty breathing while lying flat, and swollen legs.
Heart surgeon Dr. Jeremy London has revealed three signs that could tell you if you have a weak heart
Swollen legs can be caused by edema, a build-up of fluid in the body Mayo Clinicbut may be a sign of congestive heart failure due to dysfunction of one or both lower chambers of the heart.
Shortness of breath can also be a sign of heart failure, a heart attack, or abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation. The British Heart Foundation.
“While there are signs of many different heart conditions, they should be red flags,” says Dr. London.
But if you experience any of these symptoms, it’s not time to panic just yet.
Fortunately, there is a test used by cardiologists and doctors that can help find out what is causing these problems.
“The question is simply answered many times with an echocardiogram, or an ultrasound probe placed on the chest,” the doctor explained.
“This typically measures ejection fraction, the percentage of blood ejected from the heart with each heartbeat,” he continued.
Dr. London explained that the “normal” range is somewhere between 65 and 70 percent.
One of the things that Dr. London people warned to pay attention was shortness of breath while walking (stock image)
Shortness of breath can also be a sign of heart failure, a heart attack or abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation, according to the British Heart Foundation (stock image)
“If it decreases markedly after that, it would be an indication of heart failure or a weak heart,” he said in the video.
Because Dr. London is a heart surgeon, he also revealed that heart function is extremely important when going through a procedure.
“In my world of cardiac surgery, cardiac function is the single most important determinant of how patients cope with surgery,” he said.
‘Patients with a strong heart do much better than patients with a weak heart.’