More often than not, people don’t know that they are having problems with their heart. According to the Centers For Disease Control, the majority of sufferers cannot recognize symptoms of heart disease or they feel normal even when their heart is suffering from some kind of ailment.There are, however, some signs you can look out for that will tell you that your heart is having some problems. These include the following six signs:

1. Heart palpitations

If you experience heart palpitations at rest or during activity, it could mean that the electrical system of the heart has begun to malfunction. Sometimes the problem is minor.For example, if you have heart palpitations at rest, it could mean that you are just having premature atrial contractions or PACs. These usually come from stress and mean nothing. It feels like the heart has just skipped a beat or two but it is actually a premature beat caused by elevated levels of epinephrine in your system.Heart palpitations can be dangerous as well. You can have premature ventricular contractions or PVCs, which can come from having heart disease. PVCs can be dangerous because they can lead to ventricular tachycardia or a sudden heart attack.If you have palpitations of any kind, you should see your doctor and have an EKG to make sure the palpitations aren’t serious. You may need to wear a Holter monitor that measures your heartbeats over a day’s period of time.

2. Peripheral edema

If you notice fluid buildup around your ankles, you may be suffering from heart failure. The heart may be pumping inadequately, leaving blood and fluid to extravasate (leak out) of the veins and into the tissues so your ankles and lower extremities swell.The heart pump action may be failing and you notice it because you have swelling in the lower tissues of the body.

3. Shortness of breath

If the left side of your heart is failing, you may be experiencing excesses of fluid in the tissues of the lungs.This happens because the blood can’t be pumped adequately out of the heart and it builds up in the lungs, leading to feelings of shortness of breath, especially when lying down.If you find that you can’t lie down without having to prop yourself up on at least two pillows, you may be suffering from left-sided heart failure. If this is the case, the doctor can do an echocardiogram to evaluate the pumping action of your heart.An x-ray of the chest can also identify excess fluid in the lungs from left-sided heart failure. The heart may be enlarged on a chest x-ray as well.

4. Chest pain

Chest pain from your heart usually feels like a pressure is on your chest and is often associated with shortness of breath.The pain may stay in the chest or it can travel to your arms, your back, your, jaw, or your shoulder. If the chest pain comes on with activity and goes away with rest, it could mean that you have angina from blocked blood vessels in your heart.If the chest pain comes on at rest or doesn’t go away after you rest, it could mean you are having a heart attack, which is a medical emergency. Chest pain can be evaluated using an EKG or a treadmill stress test, in which you stress the heart and the heart, is monitored while you walk fast on the treadmill. Stress on the heart will show up as changes in the EKG while you walk.

5. Fainting spells

If you suddenly faint or feel dizzy when standing up, you may be suffering from orthostatic hypotension.This can mean that the heart is not compensating for the change in position and you aren’t getting enough blood to your brain. This may indicate a primary heart problem or can mean you are suffering from another medical disorder that adversely affects your blood pressure.

6. Headaches

While you may have no symptoms from high blood pressure, you may have a headache as the only sign your blood pressure is too high.

The blood pressure becomes too high in the brain and you feel this as a headache. It will feel a lot like a tension headache that doesn’t go away with the taking of medications for pain.

The only way you can know if your headache is from high blood pressure or not is to have your blood pressure taken at the doctor’s office. It usually takes very high blood pressure to cause a headache to occur.