I’m a cardiologist, these are four warning signs that your heart needs a check-up – including suffering heartburn sensations
A leading cardiologist has revealed four signs that your heart is in need of a check-up—and they can appear long before things become critical.
The ‘most recognised’ sign of heart problems, ‘rarely feels like the dramatic “crushing” pain seen in films’, Dr Oliver Guttman, a consultant cardiologist at The Wellington Hospital in London told The Independent.
Instead, he warned it can be ‘subtle, misleading or intermittent’ feeling like a heaviness, tightness or pressure—’it is sometimes described as a band squeezing the chest’, he said.
It can manifest as, ‘a burning or aching sensation that resembles heartburn or indigestion’, he explained—a problem experienced by millions of Britons. However, the pain can radiate to the arms (often the left), shoulders, neck, jaw or back.’
Dr Guttman explained these sensations can be a sign of angina—a heart condition caused by reduced blood flow to the organ, often due to hardened and narrowed arteries.
‘While angina itself is not a heart attack, it signals underlying coronary artery disease and increases the risk of heart attack if untreated,’ he warned—and, if accompanied by nausea, sweating, dizziness and anxiety, could signal the heart is under strain.
Next, he explained, while being slightly out of breath after exercise is normal, ‘shortness of breath during routine activities may indicate that the heart is struggling to pump blood efficiently’.
Warning signs to look out for include feeling unable to take a full, deep breath while sitting still, waking suddenly gasping for air at night, needing extra pillows to sleep comfortably—and these complaints being accompanied by sneezing and coughing.
A top cardiologist has shared five subtle signs that your heart needs is in need of a check up
‘Also look out for breathlessness that worsens over days or weeks, or that limits simple tasks’, he said, adding it can manifest in several other ways in daily life.
‘For example, struggling to climb a single flight of stairs that used to be easy, feeling winded when walking across a room carrying laundry, or sudden breathlessness when bending down to tie your shoes,’ said Dr Guttman.
He explained this could be due to a condition which causes fluid to back up into the lungs which has been linked to heart failures.
Thirdly, he warned that fatigue, or weakness can be early signs of heart problems and while ‘everyone gets tired occasionally, heart-related fatigue is persistent, extreme, and not relieved by rest’.
This could manifest as ‘feeling exhausted’ after simple household chores like vacuuming, washing the dishes, walking a short distance from the car to the shop—or experiencing a sudden weakness that makes routine tasks like carrying groceries difficult.
This low energy can also cause difficulty concentrating or performing mental tasks, and leave people unable to complete simple exercise routines without extreme fatigue.
He explained: ‘This can occur because the heart is not pumping enough oxygen-rich blood to the muscles and organs.’
Interestingly, he added: ‘Women may notice unusual fatigue as one of the earliest signs of heart disease, often without the classic symptom of chest pain’.
And finally, while he said a heartbeat doesn’t have to be regular, ‘frequent palpitations or irregularities should not be ignored’.
‘Signs to watch out for include fluttering or “skipping” sensations in the chest and sudden pounding or racing heartbeats even at rest,’ Dr Guttman said.
‘Also, look out for feeling your heart “flip” or “thump” unexpectedly or episodes that last from a few seconds to several minutes and may occur multiple times a day.’
This fluttering sensation may be noticed while reading or sitting quietly and skipped beats can cause moments of dizziness or light-headedness, he said.
‘These symptoms can indicate arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, which increases the risk of stroke and heart failure,’ he explained.
‘Some irregularities are harmless, but persistent or severe episodes should be evaluated with an ECG or other heart monitoring tests.
‘Regular check-ups, lifestyle management, and awareness of subtle symptoms are essential for maintaining heart health.
‘Early recognition and treatment of heart problems can save lives.’
It comes amid a worrying rise in heart-related deaths in the UK, with them soaring by 18 per cent from 18,693 to 21,975 between 2019 and 2023.
According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), there has been a 21 per cent rise in the number of people being diagnosed with heart failure since 2020.
This brings the figure to an all-time high at 785,00 in 2024, compared to 650,000 in March 2020.
The BHF said the concerning shift follows decades of progress that had seen annual deaths from conditions like a heart attack and stroke since half since the 1960s.
It said the recent rise could be driven by an unhealthy population, health inequalities, the pandemic and pressures on the National Health Service (NHS).
Other experts have pointed to the Covid virus as a possible cause due to the strain it puts on the heart and its link to blood flow issues.
