Shortness of Breath
Dyspnea or shortness of breath is also one of the symptoms of atherosclerosis that people tend to overlook. Most people don’t notice that they may have trouble breathing because they take the procedure for granted. However, dyspnea can indicate that the body needs immediate medical attention as a condition that needs to be looked into more comprehensively. A person who suffers from dyspnea experiences the feeling of being smothered, making breaths laborious.
When plaque builds inside the arteries, blood pressure increases, affecting different organ systems. The decreased blood supply reaching the organs efficiently results in them not receiving enough nutrients. This state leads to diminished performance, which could result in various manifestations. The heart must work double time to compensate whenever there’s plaque, putting undue pressure and strain on it. This will also lead to impaired respiratory capacity, resulting in shortness of breath and other breathing difficulties. While many people wouldn’t consider shortness of breath a severe problem, doctors state that it can indicate pericarditis, arrhythmia, coronary heart disease, heart failure, or an imminent heart attack. Doctors recommend resting, pursed lips or diaphragmatic breathing, or drinking coffee as home remedies for dyspnea.
