Angina is the technical term for heart-related chest pain. That pain may feel like pressure, squeezing, tightness, or discomfort. This is a typical symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD, when plaque builds up and narrows the arteries).

You might also notice pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper belly, or back if you have CAD.

During a heart attack, pain or discomfort can spread to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth, or upper belly.

Fatigue and weakness are common symptoms of heart disease. People with heart failure may feel tired all the time or have trouble with everyday activities such as shopping, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, or walking.

When the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, like in heart failure, the body may send blood away from less vital organs and toward the heart and brain. This can make exercise or exertion, such as climbing stairs or doing laundry, feel more exhausting than usual.

People with heart disease may experience dyspnea (shortness of breath) or trouble breathing. Depending on the type and severity of heart disease, breathing trouble may happen during activity, while resting, or when lying down.

Shortness of breath can be a symptom of many types of heart disease, including coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, or heart valve disease.

If heart failure causes fluid to build up in the lungs, a person may have persistent coughing or wheezing.

Heart disease may cause skin symptoms, including:

• Swelling in the feet and lower legs (edema) — Fluid can build up and cause swelling when the heart has trouble pumping blood throughout the body.
• Waxy yellow-orange growths (xanthelasma) — These cholesterol deposits sometimes develop on the eyelids, but they can occur elsewhere.
• Curved nails with swollen fingertips (nail clubbing) — Nail clubbing could be a sign of a heart or lung condition, though there are many other explanations for this symptom.
• Brown, red, or black lines under the nails (splinter hemorrhage) — Splinter hemorrhage could be related to a heart infection (endocarditis). You’ll likely have other symptoms of endocarditis along with nail changes.
• Bluish, grayish skin (cyanosis) — This occurs if the skin isn’t receiving enough blood and oxygen.

Some of these signs can have causes unrelated to the heart, but it’s important to have new skin or nail changes checked.

Heart disease can feel like indigestion or heartburn, so pain from a serious heart condition may be overlooked. During a heart attack, you might notice heartburn or indigestion, nausea, and pain or discomfort in the upper belly.

Nausea, reduced appetite, or feeling full may also happen with heart failure when the digestive system receives less blood.

Seek emergency help for new or severe gastrointestinal symptoms that occur with chest discomfort, shortness of breath, sweating, lightheadedness, or pain in the upper body.