Mayo Clinic states that heart disease is a broad term that refers to a variety of diseases that can affect the heart and blood vessels. It is the number-one killer of men and women in the United States and around the world. Heart disease can occur because of heart defects that occur at birth, diseases of the blood vessels, and abnormal heart rhythms. Because there are different types of heart disease, it affects the body in different ways.
Fatigue
The heart pumps oxygen rich-blood to every part of the body. The muscles need oxygen in order to enable individuals to perform activities of daily living such as exercising and walking, or any other things they do on a daily basis. In one type of heart disease, known as heart failure, the heart does not pump enough blood to the body, which causes fatigue. Due to low blood oxygen levels, a person who has heart failure gets tired easily.
Shortness of Breath
Heart failure can be caused by weak heart muscles. When the heart is weak, it is unable to pump blood out of the heart effectively . In left-sided heart failure, the left ventricles may be unable to pump adequate amounts of blood out of the heart and into the aorta. This can cause blood to back up into the blood vessels in the lungs. When this happens, some of the fluid from the blood leaks out into the lungs, and the result is shortness of breath.
Chest Pain
Coronary artery disease can lead to chest pain, which is also called angina. The heart needs oxygen and nutrients in order to pump blood to the body. The coronary arteries supply the heart with blood. When atherosclerosis--which is a condition in which blood vessels becomes hardened and clogged--affects a coronary artery, blood supply to the heart is reduced. Chest pain occurs when the heart needs more oxygen than the blood vessels can supply to it. The American Heart Association describes the pain of angina as an uncomfortable squeezing or pressure in the chest
Swelling
In right-sided heart failure, the right ventricle may not be able to pump adequate quantities of blood into the lungs. This can lead to blood backing up into the body. When this happens, fluids accumulate and cause swelling in areas of the body such as the abdomen, legs and ankles.
