Beware: Blue lips, creased earlobes and ring around the iris may indicate heart disease

Apart from the usual chest pain and heart palpitations, heart disease has a few other symptoms that you may not be aware of. Read on to know more.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Published: May 5, 2020 8:35 pm

Tags: cardiovascular heart diseases Diagnosis and treatment of heart disease

Bad bacteria from your mouth can enter the bloodstream and this can lead to inflammation in the blood vessels. This is a precursor to cardiovascular disease. @Shutterstock

Heart disease often shows up without any signs. Most people are surprised to know that they have this condition when their physician informs them of it after a routine checkup. This is one disease that comes silently and kills silently. Apart from the usual chest pain and heart palpitations, it also has a few other symptoms that you may not be aware of. According to a study in Menopause, hot flashes may indicate heart disease in women between the age of 40 to 53 years. Hot flashes, as we all know, is one of the most common symptoms of menopause and it interferes with a woman’s overall quality of life. Researchers say that ‘early occurring hot flashes may be those most relevant to heart disease risk’. The associations were independent of other heart disease risk factors. Also Read - World Health Day 2020: Reduce your risk of heart ailments for a healthy living

Here, let us look at a few other unusual symptoms that may indicate heart disease. Also Read - Hot weather may up heart-related deaths: 5 simple ways to keep heart diseases at bay

Is there a crease on your earlobes?

This is a strange one. It is also known as Frank’s sign, after Sanders Frank, an American doctor who first described the sign. A visible external crease on the earlobe may indicate that you may be prone to atherosclerosis. This is a disease where plaque builds up inside your arteries. This is one of the main causes of heart diseases. It may also indicate cerebrovascular disease, a disease of the blood vessels in the brain. Also Read - Poor sleep can up risk of heart disease, obesity in women: 6 ways for beat insomnia

Look for fatty bumps

Another indication of heart disease may be the appearance of yellow, fatty bumps on your elbows, knees, butts or eyelids. These bumps are known as xanthomas. Though these bumps are benign, it may indicate other health problems. It is very common in people with the familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic disease. People who suffer from this disease exhibit very high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or bad cholesterol. And, high cholesterol, as we all know, leads to heart diseases.

Keep an eye on your fingernails

If you notice your fingernails change shape, become thicker and wider, it may be an indication that everything is not all right with your heart. These changes are painless and it may happen because oxygenated blood is not reaching the fingers properly. This is an old symptom that was first described by Hippocrates in the fifth-century BC and is also known as Hippocratic fingers. But many people are not aware of this.

Ring around the iris

If you notice a grey ring around your iris, it may be another indication that you may have or are heading towards developing heart disease. The ring usually starts at the top and bottom of the iris before forming a complete ring. It does not affect your vision.

Deteriorating oral health

Are you worried about your bad breath, loose teeth and bleeding gums? You must definitely visit a cardiologist and schedule a heart checkup. Bad bacteria from your mouth can enter the bloodstream and this can lead to inflammation in the blood vessels. This is a precursor to cardiovascular disease.

Beware of blue lips

If you notice that the colour of your lips have turned blue, it may be due to the failure of the cardiovascular system to deliver oxygenated blood to tissues. You must immediately consult a doctor in this case.

Published : May 5, 2020 8:35 pm

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