A heart surgeon has revealed three warning signs that you might have a weak heart and while some of the 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, who resides in Savannah, Georgia.
Dr. London often takes to social media to share his experience, and in this latest video, he explained how to tell if your heart is weak or strong.
“Like most things in medicine, everything should begin with the history and physical examination,” Dr. London began the video.
However, there are three things you should pay attention to: shortness of breath when walking, shortness of breath while lying down, and swollen legs.
Cardiac surgeon Dr Jeremy London has revealed three signs that can tell you if you have a weak heart
Swollen legs can be caused by edema, which is a buildup of fluid in the body, according to Mayo Clinicbut it could 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, heart attack, or abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation, according to The British Heart Foundation.
“Although they are signs of many different heart diseases, they should be warning signs,” Dr. London shared.
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 determine what is causing these problems.
“The question is often answered simply with an echocardiogram or an ultrasound probe placed on the chest,” the doctor explained.
“Usually this can measure ejection fraction, which is the percentage of blood that is ejected from the heart with each heartbeat,” he continued.
Dr. London explained that the “normal” range is between 65 and 70 percent.
One of the things Dr London warned people to watch out for was difficulty breathing when walking (file image)
Shortness of breath can also be a sign of heart failure, heart attack or abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation, according to the British Heart Foundation (file image).
“If it decreases noticeably, it would be an indication of heart failure or a weak heart,” he said in the video.
Since Dr. London is a cardiac surgeon, he also revealed that heart function is extremely important when going through a procedure.
“In my world of cardiac surgery, heart function is the most important determinant of how patients do with surgery,” he said.
“Patients with strong hearts do much better than patients with weak hearts.”
