5 Bedroom Issues Linked to Heart Disease

By thirdAGE

Experts say the bedroom is often the first place couples detect early symptoms of heart disease, many tied to aging. If you start noticing issues in the bedroom such as erectile dysfunction or hot flashes, you may be ignoring a much more serious problem.

Dr. Laxmi Mehta, a cardiologist at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center, says it’s time that couples break the silence withtheir doctors about these 5 “bedroom” heart disease symptoms:

1. Chest pain during intercourse – For many patients, the first time they discover chest pain is during intercourse.  Dr. Mehta says the reason is that this type of pain is exertional chest pain — the kind that results from plaque buildup. This form of chest pain often does not present itself until intercourse if the patient is inactive.

2. Hot Flashes – While hot flashes vary among women, some women get them more often at night. Dr. Mehta says that women have an increased risk for heart disease if they experience hot flashes at an earlier age or go through menopause during an accelerated timeframe. This is true regardless of the time of day a woman experiences hot flashes.

3. Erectile dysfunction (ED) – There is a strong link between ED and heart disease. The two conditions even share many of the same symptoms. If a young, healthy man is having erectile dysfunction, Dr. Mehta says he should also be screened for heart disease.

4. Snoring – Snoring can be a warning sign for heart issues for both men and women. If snoring causes lapses in breathing, it could be a sign of sleep apnea, a condition that prevents restful sleep and is linked to high blood pressure, arrhythmia, stroke and heart failure.

5. Heart palpitations while resting – If you notice your heart beating faster than normal or skipping and stopping a beat while at rest, you may be at risk for heart disease. Most people experience palpitations at one time or another, but Dr. Mehta says if your palpitations feel different or you notice frequent extra beats while resting you should see your doctor.