Clogged arteries are a dangerous business. They can cause many health issues, the most dangerous of those being high blood pressure and heart attack. But how do you figure out that your arteries might be clogged before things get bad or need medical intervention? Pay attention to your body: These are the signs of clogged arteries that you might not be noticing.
Knowing the early signs of clogged arteries is crucial to resolve the problem before it poses such a significant risk to your health. Thankfully, you can improve clogged arteries with some simple diet and exercise interventions. If they are quite heavily clogged or you have a family history of heart problems, your doctor may also put you on some medications to help keep your arteries in check. If you have any of these ten warning signs of clogged arteries, see your doctor right away to come up with a plan to improve them.
- Chest pain: Can feel like pressure, tightness, squeezing, or aching. This is also called angina.
- Pain in other parts of the body: Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth, or upper belly.
- Shortness of breath: Can be a symptom of clogged arteries.
- Heart palpitations: Can feel like a racing, fluttering, or strong heartbeat.
- Sweating: Can be a symptom of clogged arteries.
- Nausea: Can be a symptom of clogged arteries.
- Dizziness or lightheadedness: Can be a symptom of clogged arteries.
- Slurred speech: Can be a symptom of clogged arteries.
- Vision loss: Can be a symptom of clogged arteries.
- Sudden confusion or mental changes: Can be a symptom of clogged arteries.
The location of the clog determines which symptoms you experience. For example, clogged arteries in the carotid artery can cause transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), which can lead to weakness, numbness, loss of vision, or slurred speech on one side of the body.
Chest pain is also known as angina. It results from reduced blood flow to the heart because of built-up plaque in the arteries that lead to it. Angina usually begins in the chest by the breast bone and then can extend into your left arm or shoulder, jaw, and upper back. If you are experiencing ongoing chest tightness and pain, speak with your doctor immediately.
If blood flow is restricted or cut off in your carotid arteries, it could cause you to experience weakness or numbness on one side of your body. The carotid arteries are those that carry blood from the heart to the head and are located on either side of the neck. They both split into two branches, one that carries blood to the brain and eyes and the other that takes it to the face, tongue, and outside parts of the head.
