Clogged arteries are a dangerous business. They can cause many health issues, the most dangerous of those being high blood pressure and heart attack. But how do you figure out that your arteries might be clogged before things get bad or need medical intervention? Pay attention to your body: These are the signs of clogged arteries that you might not be noticing.

10 Warning Signs of Clogged Arteries

Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood throughout your body. They carry this blood to your brain, to all the major and minor organs of your body, to your muscles, and even all the way down to the tips of your fingers and toes. In healthy arteries, the blood flows freely through them because they have smooth walls and are free of obstructions. Clogged arteries, however, have built-up plaques on their walls. These plaques reduce blood flow and can even block it altogether, leading to a heart attack.

Knowing the Signs

Knowing the early signs of clogged arteries is crucial to resolve the problem before it poses such a significant risk to your health. Thankfully, you can improve clogged arteries with some simple diet and exercise interventions. If they are quite heavily clogged or you have a family history of heart problems, your doctor may also put you on some medications to help keep your arteries in check. If you have any of these ten warning signs of clogged arteries, see your doctor right away to come up with a plan to improve them.

Nausea

Realistically, what condition isn’t nausea a symptom of? One of our body’s most astute ways of telling us something is wrong is by making us nauseous. Of course, just because you’re feeling nauseous doesn’t mean you have clogged arteries. Still, if it is ongoing you should go talk to your doctor about it.

Chest Pain

Chest pain is also known as angina. It results from reduced blood flow to the heart because of built-up plaque in the arteries that lead to it. Angina usually begins in the chest by the breast bone and then can extend into your left arm or shoulder, jaw, and upper back. If you are experiencing ongoing chest tightness and pain, speak with your doctor immediately.

Shortness of breath

If you are experiencing shortness of breath, this could be because your pulmonary arteries are clogged. While it is normal to feel short of breath after climbing the stairs or a physical effort, if it is more than usual, ongoing, and especially if it is when you are sedentary, you should have it looked at.

Weakness or numbness in one side of your body

If blood flow is restricted or cut off in your carotid arteries, it could cause you to experience weakness or numbness on one side of your body. The carotid arteries are those that carry blood from the heart to the head and are located on either side of the neck. They both split into two branches, one that carries blood to the brain and eyes and the other that takes it to the face, tongue, and outside parts of the head.

Slurring of words 

Slurring your words could be a symptom of a number of conditions. One of those is that your carotid arteries are blocked. This could either be the interior branch that carries blood to the brain, or the exterior branch that takes it to the tongue.