According to MayoClinic.com, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of men and women in the world. Forty percent of all deaths in the United States is attributed to heart disease. Heart disease is a broad term that covers many diseases of the heart. Specific diseases of the heart such as coronary artery disease, valvular disease and congestive heart disease have particular symptoms.
Coronary Artery Disease
The coronary arteries are the only arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle. When these small vessels become blocked with hard plaques, the heart's blood supply is impeded. Because a diminished blood supply also means a decreased oxygen supply, the heart muscle suffers. According to the MayoClinic.com, symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain and anxiety can occur. The most severe complication of blockages in these arteries is a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Symptoms of a heart attack are severe chest pain or pressure, lightheadedness, anxiety, sweating, nausea, jaw pain or shoulder pain. Women complain of intense chest pain and are likely to have jaw or shoulder pain, "heartburn" and complain of fatigue.
Valvular Disease
The heart is divided into four chambers and each chamber is separated by a one-way valve. The mitral, aortic, pulmonic and tricuspid valves of the heart are thin tissue flaps that help direct the flow of blood through the heart in a unidirectional fashion. When one of these valves becomes damaged, a patient can experience heart failure symptoms. According to MayoClinic.com, fatigue, shortness of breath, fainting, chest pain, murmur and palpitations can signal valvular disease.
Congestive Heart Failure
The heart acts as a pump to force blood into the system in order to bring oxygen and nutrients to the body. Each beat of the heart pumps a specific volume of blood into the aorta to be distributed to the arterial system. When the heart can not pump the necessary volume of blood into the aorta, congestion occurs. Symptoms such as shortness of breath with exertion or at rest, fatigue, swelling of the feet or ankles, irregular heart beats and lightheadedness or dizziness can signal congestive heart disease, according to MayoClinic.com.
