Man in His 30s Was Diagnosed With Heart Failure After Subtle Symptoms

Alex Balmes thought he had a bad case of anxiety ever since he was a kid.

“I would feel my heart thump hard in my chest and then it would just start racing,” he told Business Insider.

As he got older, the symptoms like irregular heartbeat worsened. Balmes worked construction in Orlando, Florida, and assumed his job was partly to blame for his exhaustion.

By the time he hit 30, Balmes noticed he was often short of breath when he tried to keep up with his young daughter. He had also gained weight and felt bloated.

When the symptoms became too severe to ignore, he wound up in the emergency room.

The diagnosis: heart failure.

“I was like, there’s no way,” Balmes said. His initial denial led to an “emotional rollercoaster” over five months of repeatedly checking out of, and back into, the hospital.

Eventually, Balmes underwent surgery for a left ventricular assist device, an implant to help his blood circulate.

He also overhauled his lifestyle, including his diet, exercise habits, and stress management, with the help of Dr. Yahaira Ortiz, cardiologist at Orlando Health.

Now 33, Balmes shared the warning signs of serious illness that he missed, and how switching to heart-healthy habits has given him more time and energy to spend with his daughter.

“I didn’t realize how sick I was until I got healthy,” Balmes said.

Warning signs of heart disease in young patients

Older adults are most at risk of heart failure, since the blood vessels can become stiffer as we age, increasing the odds of a blockage or other problem.

But Ortiz said she’s noticed an alarming trend of cardiovascular issues in younger patients like Balmes. And research suggests that heart disease is on the rise in patients under 45.

That’s particularly concerning because patients in their 30s can delay crucial medical care, not expecting to be at risk of conditions like heart failure or heart disease.

“Younger patients do not think that they are sick, much less that they have congestive heart failure. They attribute symptoms to everything else but being sick,” she told Business Insider.

Balmes’ symptoms were textbook examples of heart failure: shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, weight gain, and bloating.

Chest pain in particular is a serious warning sign to seek medical attention, Ortiz said, but anything out of the ordinary is worth checking out.

“If you’re short of breath just lying down, that’s not normal. Extreme ranges of blood pressure, inability to perform the activities that you used to do because you’re just too exhausted, abdominal bloating, those are usually the most common symptoms,” she said.

Balmes said if he had understood the seriousness of his symptoms, he would have seen a doctor sooner.

“Nobody wants to drive their car until it breaks down. Your body’s the same way,” he said.

How to protect your heart health

Ortiz said there’s a lot you can do in your daily routine to protect your heart, whether you’re recovering from illness or hoping to prevent it.

She recommends exercise to all her patients, even if they just start with a short walk. What you eat can also make a big difference, and Ortiz said the Mediterranean and DASH diets are good examples of heart-healthy eating habits: high in fiber, nutrient-dense plant foods, and healthy fats.

Habits like sitting all day, feeling a lot of pressure build up from work or other obligations, and eating processed food high in added salt, sugar, and fat can put strain on your heart.

“We’re just constantly putting our bodies under not only physical stress, but also emotional stress. And this is constant inflammation that leads to premature coronary disease,” she said.

Since the diagnosis, Balmes said he made major changes to his daily routine. He started managing his stress better, turning off his work phone when he clocks out for the day. He quit drinking and smoking, cut down on sodium (including Gatorade, his favorite drink), and started hitting the gym.

He lifts weights, but for three days a week, his typical workout is cardio-focused, about 20 minutes each on the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, and rower, making sure not to push too hard. He

“I’m at 90% of how I used to be,” Balmes said. “I didn’t realize how sick I was until I got healthy,”

One big adjustment is that he now carries a battery pack that weighs about 7 pounds, connected to his body to power the pump that supports his heart. It means he can’t jump in the water at the beach or hit the Jacuzzi.

Balmes is on the transplant list to eventually get a new heart. But for now, he makes the most of every minute with his daughter — they go outside when they can, and when it’s time for Dad to slow down, they play Minecraft together.

“All this made me get older, faster,” Balmes said. “I understand my limit and what I can do, but also find enjoyment in it.”