It can reveal a heart disease.
Consulting it for the first time or chronically, the appointment with a cardiologist is particularly important since it takes stock of the state of health of the heart and its vessels. The doctor reviews blood pressure, cholesterol … He asks questions about the patient’s physical feeling. At that time, he must also think about asking his own questions. There is one, often forgotten, which can reveal crucial information on the heart state, according to Professor Jean-Noël Fabiani-Salmon, heart surgeon.
During the exchange with the cardiologist, it is necessary to share him the cardiovascular alert signals. Professor Jean-Noël Fabiani-Salmon insists on the presence of chest pain, typical of a coronary disease and recalls a major difference between the heart symptoms of women and those of men. “A woman will often describe pain either in the stomach or in the back” specifies our interlocutor. These atypical pains have exactly the same alert value as a more “classic” symptom.
Beyond pain, the cardiac surgeon advises to ask a simple but fundamental question: “Doctor, and if we were talking about my breathing?”. Indeed, the way in which the body oxygenous with effort is a key indicator of heart health. Professor Fabiani-Salmon is formal: “Speaking at the slightest effort can be a very important sign of heart disease.” This symptom is directly linked to the fact that the tired heart no longer pumps enough blood. This then accumulates in the lungs, preventing them from working properly “And at that time, you are breathless”. This state that can lead to pulmonary edema, it is imperative to discuss it without delay with your doctor.
Pay attention to his breath and never trivialize an unusual shortness of breath are therefore key reflexes. Listening to your body, knowing how to precisely describe your pain even if they do not seem “classic”, and dare to question your doctor about all aspects of your health, it is becoming an actor of your health, and especially the health of your heart.
Thank you to Professor Jean-Noël Fabiani-Salmon, cardiovascular surgeon, professor emeritus at the University of Paris and member of the Council of the Order of Physicians.
