If you mean warning signs of narrowed or blocked arteries, the symptoms depend on which arteries are affected. Atherosclerosis can affect the heart, brain, legs, and other organs—and sometimes causes no symptoms until disease is advanced.
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Mayo Clinic
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10 indicators you shouldn’t ignore
Chest pressure, tightness, or pain — especially with activity or stress; this can be angina.
Shortness of breath — particularly during exertion.
Pain spreading to the arm, shoulder, back, neck, or jaw.
Unusual or persistent fatigue — sometimes an important warning sign, particularly when accompanied by other symptoms.
Cold sweating without an obvious reason.
Nausea, vomiting, or indigestion-like discomfort, especially with chest symptoms.
Dizziness or lightheadedness, particularly if sudden or accompanied by chest discomfort.
A racing or irregular heartbeat or a fluttering sensation.
Leg pain or cramping when walking that improves with rest — a classic symptom of peripheral artery disease.
Sudden weakness/numbness, trouble speaking, facial drooping, or temporary vision loss — these can indicate reduced blood flow to the brain and may be a TIA or stroke.
M
Mayo Clinic
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🚨 Don’t wait with these symptoms
Chest pressure/pain, shortness of breath, cold sweating, nausea, or pain spreading to the arm, back, neck, or jaw can signal a heart attack. Symptoms can be mild and may come and go, so don’t wait for them to become severe. Seek emergency medical help immediately.
M
Mayo Clinic
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Likewise, sudden facial drooping, arm weakness/numbness, difficulty speaking, or sudden vision loss requires emergency evaluation because these can be stroke/TIA symptoms.
M
Mayo Clinic
Importantly, you cannot reliably tell how blocked an artery is from symptoms alone. Some people have significant coronary artery disease with few or no warning symptoms, so evaluation may require an ECG, blood tests, stress testing, CT imaging, or other tests depending on the situation.
M
Mayo Clinic
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If you tell me your age, symptoms, and when they occur (for example, while walking, after eating, or at rest), I can help you understand which signs are more concerning.
M
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