5 subtle signs you could have a heart problem

The following is a list of symptoms that might be worth a chat with your doctor. But they may also be caused by a bunch of other things, so don't freak out. Only your real doctor—not Dr. Google—can really tell you if these symptoms mean anything at all, Foxnews.com reports.

You're extremely tried
This isn't just lack of sleep tired; it is extreme fatigue. Think of how you feel when you get the flu, except this doesn't go away.

"A lot of women kind of blow this off assuming it's nothing and that they will feel better, but in reality it could be a sign of your heart," said Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, Director of Women's Heart Health at the Heart and Vascular Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Your feet swell
Feet swelling can occur for a bunch of garden-variety reasons, such as pregnancy, varicose veins (which are unsightly but not dangerous), or when you travel and have limited ability to move around. It can also be a sign of heart failure, a chronic condition in which the heart pumps blood inefficiently.

If you recently developed foot swelling, see your doctor to determine the cause and how best to treat it.

You have extreme pain when you walk
If your hip and leg muscles cramp when you climb, walk, or move, then feel better when you rest, don't shrug it off as due to old age or a lack of exercise (though those things certainly could be the culprits). It could be a sign of peripheral arterial disease, also known as PAD. PAD is a buildup of fatty plaque in leg arteries that is linked to a higher risk of heart disease. If you have PAD there's a 50 percent chance you also have a blockage in one of the heart arteries, Miller said. The good news? PAD (and heart disease for that matter) is a very treatable condition.

You get dizzy or light-headed
Again, this is one of those symptoms that can have many non-heart related causes. If you have ever been to a gym, you may have seen warning signs to stop walking, running, cycling or elliptical stepping if you feel dizzy or light-headed. This symptom could be caused by dehydration or because you "got up too quick," but if it occurs on a regular basis then talk to your doctor to see if medication side effects, inner ear problems, anemia, or, less commonly, heart issues are to blame. This spinning state could be caused by blockages in arteries that lessen blood pressure or by faulty valves that cannot maintain blood pressure, Miller said.

You get short of breath, even though you're fit
Despite your thrice-weekly cycling classes, you get winded walking up a flight of stairs or you're coughing a lot. What gives? It could be asthma, anemia, an infection, or rarely a problem with the heart's valves or its ability to pump blood.

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