Is Knee Pain Related To Heart Problem

How Is Oa Treated

There is no cure for OA, so doctors usually treat OA symptoms with a combination of therapies, which may include the following:

• Increasing physical activity
• Medications, including over-the-counter pain relievers and prescription drugs
• Supportive devices such as crutches or canes
• Surgery

In addition to these treatments, people can gain confidence in managing their OA with self-management strategies. These strategies help reduce pain and disability so people with osteoarthritis can pursue the activities that are important to them. These five simple and effective arthritis management strategies can help.

Physical Activity for Arthritis

Some people are concerned that physical activity will make their arthritis worse, but joint-friendly physical activity can actually improve arthritis pain, function, and quality of life.

You Feel Dizzy Or Lightheaded

A lot of things can make you lose your balance or feel faint for a moment. Maybe you didnât have enough to eat or drink, or you stood up too fast.

But if you suddenly feel unsteady and you also have chest discomfort or shortness of breath, call a doctor right away.

“It could mean your blood pressure has dropped because your heart isn’t able to pump the way it should,” Bufalino says.

How The Spine Causes Knee Pain

The nerve roots that transmit the sensation of pain to the legs and feet are located in the lower back. Occasionally with age or injury, the discs between the vertebrae can degenerate or bulge out and press on these nerves.

When this occurs, the nerve becomes irritated and sends out pain signals. The location of the pain depends on which disc is protruding.

The severity of the pain depends on how much of the disc is pressing on the nerve. The nerves that send fibers to the knee are located at the second, third, and fourth lumbar vertebral levels in the lower back area.

If a bulging disc, bone spur, or arthritic joint in the second, third, or fourth lumbar vertebra compresses a nerve, the referred pain will often be felt in the knee.

Referred pain is pain perceived at a location other than where the cause is situated. It is the result of pain signals being sent along the network of interconnecting sensory nerves.

This condition can be diagnosed by your physician with a thorough history and physical exam. If the nerve that travels to your thigh and knee is irritated or pinched, you may feel a host of symptoms, including:

• Pain in the front of your thigh
• Knee pain
• Numbness or tingling in your thigh
• Weakness in your hip or quadriceps muscles

If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor. In some cases, the hip may be the culprit, so a careful examination is necessary to find the true cause of your knee pain.

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Chest Pain And Heart Attack Symptoms

Chest pain is only one of the possible signs of an impending heart attack. If you notice one or more of the signs below in yourself or someone else, call 911 or your local emergency number right away.

• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, burning, tightness, or pain in the center of the chest

• Pain, numbness, pinching, prickling, or other uncomfortable sensations in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach

• Shortness of breath

• Heat/flushing or a cold sweat

• Sudden heaviness, weakness, or aching in one or both arms

Providence Cardiologists Say That Atherosclerosis Is Very Treatable When Addressed Promptly

You go for a long walk and your legs and feet start to hurt. Is it fatigue? Is it a muscle strain? Or is it a sign of something more serious?

It could be a sign of atherosclerosis hardening of the arteries. And that could mean serious health problems, including heart attack or stroke.

Such a condition is called peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. It occurs when plaque forms in the arteries that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body, including the legs, arms, and torso.

While pain in your feet or legs generally does not signal the onset of heart problems, many people arent aware of the possibility. Typically, the pain goes away when a person rests, returning only when he or she walks again. PAD may be marked by leg cramps but cramps also may be a sign of dehydration or other relatively benign conditions. Other signs may include hair loss in the painful area, numbness, a weakened or absent pulse or skin discoloration.

Further, not everyone with PAD shows symptoms. Health experts say as many as 40 percent of those with PAD show no signs of the condition.

But its a potentially serious even fatal condition. Untreated, it may lead to a heart attack, amputation, kidney problems, restricted mobility or stroke. Risk factors for PAD include:

• Over 60 years old

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A Cough That Wont Quit

In most cases, this isn’t a sign of heart trouble. But if you have heart disease or know you’re at risk, pay special attention to the possibility.

If you have a long-lasting cough that produces a white or pink mucus, it could be a sign of heart failure. This happens when the heart can’t keep up with the body’s demands, causing blood to leak back into the lungs.

Ask your doctor to check on whatâs causing your cough.

Less Likely To Be A Heart Attack

Sensation of pain, or of pressure, tightness, squeezing, or burning

Sharp or knifelike pain brought on by breathing or coughing

Gradual onset of pain over the course of a few minutes

Sudden stabbing pain that lasts only a few seconds

Pain in diffuse area, including a constant pain in middle of chest

Pain clearly on one side of the body or the other

Pain that extends to the left arm, neck, jaw, or back

Pain that is localized to one small spot

Pain or pressure accompanied by other signs, such as difficulty breathing, a cold sweat, or sudden nausea

Pain that lasts for many hours or days without any other symptoms

Pain or pressure that appears during or after physical exertion or emotional stress or while you are at rest

Pain reproduced by pressing on the chest or with body motion

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How Does Heart Disease Affect The Legs And Feet

Many people with PAD are unaware of their condition because they dont exhibit symptoms. However, PAD can contribute to the following disorders:

Intermittent Claudication. If you experience painful cramps when you walk or exercise, feel a tight, aching, or squeezing pain in the calf, thigh, or buttock, or experience numbness in the lower limbs it could be attributed to your leg muscles not getting enough blood. This pain is called intermittent claudication, and usually happens after you walking or exercising. The pain tends to dissipate when you stop walking, although as PAD becomes more severe, even when you arent walking pain in your toe or foot may exist. When it occurs as a person is sleeping, its called rest pain.

Venous Disease. Another possible condition is venous disease, especially if you have a history of spider or varicose veins. Unexplained pain, heaviness, or swelling in a leg, or visible see purple, twisted veins in your legs that are raised above the skin, may be an indication of venous disease. Varicose veins develop when valves in the veins that carry blood up toward your heart stop working properly. As a result, blood collects in the veins. The pressure of this pooled blood can push the veins above the surface of your skin.

What You Need To Know

• The most common causes of knee pain are related to aging, injury or repeated stress on the knee.
• Common knee problems include sprained or strained ligaments, cartilage tears, tendonitis and arthritis.
• Diagnosing a knee injury or problem includes a medical examination and usually the use of a diagnostic procedure such as an x-ray, MRI, CT scan or arthroscopy.
• Both non-operative and surgical treatment options are available to treat knee pain and problems depending on the type and severity of the condition.

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Study Links Ra And Heart Disease

A study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, the journal of the European League Against Rheumatism , found strong links between the incidence of heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers did a meta-analysis of almost 100,000 patients and 19 studies. They found that RA increases the risk of cardiovascular death by 60 percent over people who dont have the disease.

M. Elaine Husni, MD, Vice Chair of Rheumatology and Director of Cleveland Clinics Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Center, says the findings are significant. I believe that the epidemiologic evidence demonstrates that there is a very strong association of accelerated heart disease in patients with inflammatory arthritis such as RA, lupus and psoriatic arthritis, she says. This risk in RA is doubled compared with the general population and comparable to those with diabetes mellitus.

Steven Nissen, MD, Chairman of Cleveland Clinics Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, says the relative risk of heart disease for those with rheumatoid arthritis is surprisingly high, in the range of or similar to other important risk factors such as smoking.

Osteoarthritis And Your Heart

Having OA may increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. Heres what you can do to protect your heart.

Although joint damage, pain, and swelling are the hallmarks of osteoarthritis , joints arent the only part of the body this disease can affect. Research also shows that the heart may be at risk in people with degenerative joint disease.

People with OA are almost three times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease or heart failure than those without OA, studies show. The link is especially strong when arthritis is in certain joints, such as the knee and hip.

But just because you have OA doesnt mean you cant improve your heart health.

Whats Behind the OA-Heart Disease Link?

Inflammation

Although OA is not traditionally considered an inflammatory disease, research is beginning to show that OA does involve inflammation. And long-term inflammation contributes to CVD.

Aging

Growing older makes you more likely to develop both diseases. Aging thickens and stiffens the arteries, which can lead to high blood pressure and heart damage. Joints degenerate from years of use and repeated small injuries. Unfortunately, age isnt reversible, but you can address the preventable risk factors below.

Too little exercise

Obesity

Obesity can lead to both OA and CVD. Carrying excess body weight puts stress on both the joints and heart, which can cause damage over time. Fat cells also produce inflammatory chemicals that are harmful to joints, the heart, and blood vessels.

Stay active

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Connections Between Shoulder Pain And Heart Attack

Discomfort from a heart attack can cause chest pain or even shoulder pain. So if you are experiencing shoulder or arm pain on the left side, you may be having a heart attack. However, Heart attack is not the only cause of these types of pain. So it is important to be aware of different body pains that can be indications of heart attacks.

When To Call The Doctor

If you have any signs of heart disease, call your health care provider right away. Don’t wait to see if the symptoms go away or dismiss them as nothing.

• You have chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack
• You know you have angina and have chest pain that doesn’t go away after 5 minutes of rest or after taking nitroglycerine
• You think you may be having a heart attack
• You become extremely short of breath
• You think you may have lost consciousness

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Heart Disease Links To Leg & Foot Pain

Cardiovascular Disease is more than a disease of the heart. It can affect any part of your body that relies on nutrient-rich and oxygenated blood to function. When the problem is in the blood vessels that carry blood to any part of the body other than the heart, it is called Peripheral Vascular Disease or Peripheral Arterial Disease . A number of foot and leg ailments are associated with circulatory problems and blockages in the arteries of the legs or feet. Common symptoms include: cramps swelling of the ankle, foot or leg pain in the calf, toes or thighs numbness constantly cold feet and varicose or spider veins. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to schedule an evaluation with American Foot and Leg Specialists, with four convenient locations in Stockbridge, Atlanta, Fayetteville and Forest Park, Georgia.

Now What After A Pad Diagnosis

Whats most important about having peripheral artery disease isnt the PAD itself — its what it says about your risk for other, life-threatening conditions.

Cynthia Shortell, MD, head of vascular surgery at Duke, says that being diagnosed with PAD means one thing for certain: Youve got atherosclerosis — otherwise known as hardened arteries. And you should definitely seek treatment and evaluation for that, she said, as its a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

But she says that PAD is not, in and of itself, a condition that requires aggressive treatment in all people. Choosing treatment often depends on how much your symptoms interfere with your life.

In those with mild to moderate symptoms, Dr. Shortell says three therapies are most often recommended:

• Smoking cessation: Better blood flow in the limbs is one of many benefits to smokers who quit.
• An exercise routine: This can be as simple as a daily walk. Exercise is a very effective way to build new vessels and improve circulation — when the routine is maintained, of course.
• Medications: These can be useful for some patients, but they do have important side effects that should be weighed carefully with your physician.

Dr. Shortell says that for most patients with claudication, deciding to have one of these surgical procedures is not unlike the decision to have knee replacement surgery. Its a quality-of-life decision, she said.

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Common Causes Of Costochondritis

There are rubbery segments of cartilage called costosternal joints that attach the ribs to the breastbone, and chest pain can occur when the cartilage in those joints gets inflamed. Costochondritis is typically a result of some sort of mechanical stress, like you coughed too hard or you reached too far and pulled something, says Harry L. Gewanter, MD, a pediatric rheumatologist in Richmond, Virginia. For example, chest pain symptoms could occur after you physically strain yourself moving furniture. While these symptoms can be extremely painful, the condition is not life-threatening.

Can Leg Pain Be A Sign Of Heart Problems & What Are The Symptoms Of A Blocked Artery In Your Legs

Leg pain felt in the muscles could be a sign of a condition called peripheral artery disease.

Blocked or Clogged arteries lead to the formation of plaque on the artery inner walls. Arterial plaque reduces the flow of blood and in some cases, blocks it completely.

Blocked arteries thus increase your chance to suffer from stroke, heart attack, and death.

Many doctors also refer to blocked arteries as atherosclerosis and it is the prime condition to cause coronary heart problems and related circulatory diseases. This is because plaques restrict the flow of blood to heart muscles by physically blocking the artery or by abnormal artery function or tone.

Without enough supply of blood, the heart starves of the oxygen and other related essential nutrients, which it requires to work properly. This causes chest pain referred to as angina. If blood supply cuts off from a specific area of heart muscles completely or the energy demands of the heart exceed its supply of blood, a person suffers from a heart attack.

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What Symptoms Accompanying Your Shoulder Pain Is Vital

Besides shoulder pain, heart attack may also have the following symptoms:

• Chest Pain or Discomfort: You may feel the pain or discomfort that feels like squeezing, fullness, pressure or tight ache in your chest and it will last for a while. The discomfort will come and go.
• Pain in Upper Body: The discomfort or pain might spread past your chest and to your jaw, teeth, neck, back, arms or shoulders. You might experience pain in the upper body pain without any discomfort in the chest.
• Stomach Pain: The pain can spread down to the abdomen and you might feel something like heartburns. You might feel nauseated or even vomit.
• Shortness of Breath: You might try to take deep breaths or pant. This is mostly before you experience chest discomfort. In some cases, you might not feel the discomfort.
• Anxiety: You might feel like you are experiencing a panic attack out of the blue, or feel a sudden sense of doom come over you.
• Light-Headedness: On top of the chest pressure you might feel dizzy or you are about to faint.
• Sweating: You might suddenly start sweating yet your skin is calm and cold.

When you feel any of the heart attack symptoms, do not ignore them and hope they will fade away. Call 911 immediately.