Overview
The heart sits in the chest between the lungs and works as the body’s main pump. Its right side sends blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen, and its left side pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. Valves inside the heart help keep blood flowing forward, and an electrical system helps coordinate each heartbeat.
Key Symptoms
A healthy heart usually works without you noticing it, but heart problems can cause warning signs. These may include chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, a racing or irregular heartbeat, unusual tiredness, dizziness, fainting, or swelling in the feet or legs. Some people also feel pain in the arm, back, neck, or jaw, especially during physical effort or stress.
Causes and Risk Factors
Heart problems can develop from many causes, including narrowed or blocked blood vessels, high blood pressure, infections, inherited conditions, valve problems, or disorders of the heart muscle or rhythm. Risk factors include smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, harmful alcohol use, chronic stress, and poor sleep. Risk also tends to rise with age, and family history can matter.
Who Is Affected
Everyone needs a healthy heart, and heart conditions can affect people of any age. Some problems are present from birth, while others develop over time. Risk patterns can differ by age, sex, ancestry, access to care, and local factors such as air pollution, diet, and tobacco exposure.
Prevention
Many heart problems can be made less likely by protecting overall cardiovascular health. Avoiding tobacco, staying physically active, eating a balanced diet, managing stress, getting enough sleep, and keeping blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar in a healthy range all help. Regular health checkups can find risk factors early, even before symptoms begin.
Diagnosis and Tests
Healthcare professionals assess heart health by asking about symptoms, personal and family history, and lifestyle. They may listen to the heart, check blood pressure and pulse, and use tests such as an electrocardiogram, blood tests, echocardiogram, stress testing, or heart imaging. The right tests depend on the symptoms and the suspected problem.
Treatment Categories
Treatment depends on the type of heart problem. Care may include lifestyle changes, monitoring, medicines, procedures to open or repair blood vessels or valves, devices that help control rhythm, or surgery. Follow-up care is often important because heart conditions can change over time.
Diet and Lifestyle
Heart-friendly habits support both prevention and long-term health. Many people benefit from meals built around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, and healthier fats, with less salt, added sugar, and heavily processed foods. Regular movement, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and taking prescribed treatment as directed can also support heart function.
When It May Be an Emergency
Some heart-related symptoms need urgent attention because they can signal a life-threatening problem. Emergency warning signs include chest pain or pressure that does not go away, severe shortness of breath, fainting, sudden weakness on one side, trouble speaking, or a very fast, very slow, or irregular heartbeat with dizziness or collapse. If these happen, seek emergency medical help right away.