Although most cases of heart problems occur in elderly patients, young people can also suffer from heart disease. O cardiometer, from the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC)points out that, in Brazil, one person dies every 90 seconds from cardiovascular events.
Usually, cases in young people are explained by congenital problems, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in which the walls of the two lower chambers of the heart become thick and rigid, or aortic stenosis, when there is a narrowing of the opening of the aortic valve that blocks the blood flow.
“These are problems that do not look at age. Any palpitations or chest pain should be investigated”, warns cardiologist Frederico Abreu, from Hospital Santa Lúcia, in Brasília.
The precise diagnosis depends on clinical analysis with physical and imaging exams, but, given a well-done medical evaluation, the young person with heart problems can have a life close to normal, according to the doctor.
Experts point out that most heart diseases that affect individuals under 40 have nonspecific symptoms. Abreu cites three symptoms that may appear in young patients and need to be investigated. Check out:
Shortness of breath during exercise
When performing a physical activity, it is normal to feel short of breath and fatigue. However, Abreu draws attention to the individual who, at just 30 years old, gets out of breath with a simple activity, such as climbing a flight of stairs.
This is the case for patients with congenital hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The disease is caused by a genetic mutation that usually develops in people between the ages of 20 and 40. During the practice of physical exercises, the condition can cause, in addition to shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations.
fainting or dizziness
Although fainting is not always related to the heart, the situation can be a sign of reduced blood flow in or out of the vital organ – this is what happens to patients suffering from vasovagal syndrome, for example.
“You know that person who complains about low blood pressure when standing up too quickly? Maybe that’s her problem. Let’s assume that this same individual is sitting down and scrambles to his feet to answer his cell phone across the room, but midway through, he passes out. It is the malfunctioning of the cardiac pump that causes a lack of oxygen in the brain”, explains the cardiologist.
Irregular rhythm or beat
Heart palpitations can be associated with anxiety or stress, but they can also be caused by arrhythmia, a condition that makes the heart beat irregularly. The condition is one of those responsible for cases of sudden death, for example.
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