What are the symptoms of atherosclerosis?

What are the symptoms of atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis often doesn’t cause any symptoms until an artery is very narrow or entirely blocked. Many people don’t even know they have the condition until a medical emergency, such as a heart attack or stroke.

You may start noticing symptoms if your artery is more than 70% blocked. The blockage causes your blood flow to slow down. As a result, your body isn’t getting enough oxygen.

Some early warning signs include:

• Chest pain (angina) while exercising. This pain stops when you rest.
• Leg cramps when walking (intermittent claudication).
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA). This is a “mini stroke” that has the same symptoms as a stroke. But it goes away within a day and doesn’t damage your brain. If you have a TIA, you’re at risk of having a stroke within days or weeks.

If you have a blood clot or sudden blockage, you may have a heart attack or stroke. Symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Chest pain. It may be mild discomfort or severe, crushing pain.
• Pain in one or both arms or shoulders.
• Discomfort in your neck or jaw.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Heart palpitations.
• Anxiety or a feeling of “impending doom.”
• Sweating.
• Dizziness or fainting.

Women and people designated female at birth (DFAB) may also experience shortness of breath, fatigue and insomnia. These symptoms might begin days, weeks or even months before the heart attack.

The blood clot or blockage can also lead to a stroke. Symptoms of a stroke include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness in your face, arms or legs, especially on one side of your body.
• Sudden trouble speaking or understanding others.
• Slurred or confused speech.
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Severe dizziness or loss of balance.
• Trouble walking.
• Sudden and severe headache.

Atherosclerosis usually doesn’t cause symptoms until your artery is severely blocked. But some people experience early warning signs days or weeks before a medical emergency.