Contributed by Ryan Peterson.

As everyone knows, your heart is an organ you cannot live without. It is what pumps blood – and therefore oxygen – around your body, ensuring that all other organs are taken care of. If your heart has a problem, it can be fatal, and it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Sometimes recognizing the warning signs that your heart is in trouble can be difficult. They might be more minor than you would expect, or perhaps you mistake the signs for something else. That’s why it’s important to understand what the signs are so you get help immediately.

Chest Discomfort 

There may not be a problem with the heart when you feel a tightness or pinching in your chest. Most of the time, if you’re having trouble breathing, it’s because of a problem with your lungs, especially if you’ve been working out. But it can be a more serious problem.

If the feeling lasts longer than it would normally take for you to catch your breath, or if it happens when you are resting instead of when you are physically active, you seek emergency care. Even if you don’t feel pain, it doesn’t mean there isn’t something wrong with your heart. Many people, especially women, can have a full heart attack without being in pain, so acknowledging this discomfort could be vital. 

Pain In Your Arm 

Your chest might feel fine, but your arm (usually your left arm, especially if you’re a man, but it could also be your right arm or both) might hurt a lot, and the pain might feel like it’s coming from the side of your body all the way down. This is one of the most recognized signs that you might be having a heart attack. The heart itself might not hurt, but other parts of your body that are linked to the heart might. In some cases, it might not even hurt. Instead, it might feel like tingling or like an electric buzz.

Why is the problem in your arm? It’s all about your nervous system. When the heart is under attack, it sends out signals for support throughout the body. These impulses combine in the spinal cord before heading in the same direction. The arm or shoulder is the most accessible location. As your cardiac condition worsens, the oxygen flow to those locations decreases, exacerbating the pain and the problem.

Although your arm is the most likely location for the nerve signals, it is not the only one. Pay attention to pain in other locations as well, such as the jaw and throat, or neck.

A Diabetes Diagnosis 

Being diagnosed with diabetes does not necessarily mean you also have a heart problem. However, studies have shown individuals with diabetes are at higher risk for developing heart disease. This due to elevated blood sugars leading to vascular damage in blood vessels impacting the hearts ability to effectively function. 

For this reason, take steps to keep your diabetes well-managed, such as using specific diabetic dessert recipes, and carefully exercising to keep your weight in check (and taking insulin if this is required).