Most people would probably associate the heart condition angina with pain in the chest but the symptoms can also become apparent in other areas of the body; researchers at the University of Leeds have revealed that recurring toothache when exercising could be a sign of heart problems, along with pain in the neck, jaw, arms, and possibly between the shoulder blades.
Dr Klaus Witte, senior lecturer at the University and cardiologist at Leeds General Infirmary said that many people were unfamiliar with the signs of angina, particularly tooth pains; ‘A classic but often missed sign of heart trouble is recurrent toothache that strikes only upon exertion such as walking, especially up a hill, and subsides upon rest.’
Cardiologist and spokesperson for Charity Heart UK, Dr David Lindsay, explains that all nerves are interconnected and this could lead to pain in other parts of the body, when the actual condition is concentrated in another area; ‘The nerves coming from the heart that transmit the pain of angina may cross over with nerves from elsewhere.’ Jaw ache is becoming more commonly associated with heart attacks; Dr Lindsay describes the pain as radiating outwards from the teeth, along the jaw, or even feeling like earache when it starts to develop and can become apparent several weeks before a heart attack strikes.