What is angina?
Angina is a heart condition that causes pain or tightness in the chest. However, not all angina and tightness is heart-related.
There are three types of angina:
- Stable angina. This is the most popular. It happens when your heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood flow during physical activity. Stable angina has a regular pattern. It is usually treated for a longer period of time. Treatment includes medications as well as a gradual reintroduction to exercise. This is offered as part of a cardiac rehabilitation program. This improves heart function and may reduce risk factors for disease progression.
- Unstable angina. This is the most serious. It can happen without warning—even when you’re not physically active. And it doesn’t follow a pattern. It lasts longer than stable angina. Rest and medication do not relieve unstable angina. It could be a warning of a heart attack.
- Variant angina. This is rare. It usually happens at night or early in the morning when you are resting. It can cause severe pain. Medicines can help.
Angina may bother you when you are doing activities like walking, climbing stairs, exercising, or cleaning. You should go to the emergency room if your chest pain doesn’t go away.
Symptoms?
- Chest pain or pressure
- Sweat a lot
- Shortness of breath
- Pain in your arm, neck, jaw, or shoulder
- nausea
- Fatigue (feeling too tired)
- Feeling bloated or indigestion
- Pain comes and goes
What causes angina?
Angina is a form of heart disease. It is caused by a blockage in the arteries that supply blood to your heart. Several risk factors can lead to heart disease, including:
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- smoke
- high cholesterol
- Menopause in women
- Family history of heart disease at a young age
How to diagnosed angina?
Your doctor will check your symptoms and ask you about your family history. To check for heart disease, your doctor may ask you to undergo one or more of the following tests:
- Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG). This involves attaching straps and pads to your chest. It can detect damage to the heart and arteries. If the test is done while you have angina, it can show whether the pain is related to your heart.
- Stress test. This involves you walking on a treadmill or taking certain medications. On a treadmill, you will have similar straps and pads attached to your chest. It can detect any abnormalities with your heart while you’re physically active.
- X ray. This gives your doctor an image of your heart.
- Heart information. During this test, your doctor inserts a very long, thin tube into an artery in your arm or leg. Your doctor will insert a tube into your heart. Your doctor will inject contrast dye into the arteries around your heart. They will also take X-rays during the procedure to look for blockages.
Can it be prevented or avoided?
The best way is to prevent heart disease. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, and/or high cholesterol, follow your doctor’s treatment plan. If you smoke, stop. Maintain a healthy diet, stay at a healthy weight, and exercise regularly to avoid heart disease. If you already have heart disease, the steps listed above are important to help keep the problem from getting worse. If you have a family history of heart disease, talk to your doctor about ways to reduce your risk factors for making it worse.
Treatment
Severe angina is usually treated with a medicine called nitroglycerin. Sometimes, your doctor may need a heart procedure to open blocked arteries. Cardiac rehabilitation may also be needed. In general, angina can be treated with treat your heart disease. If the cause of your chest pain is not heart disease, your doctor will recommend treatment for that condition.
Living with it.
Living with it means controlling your risk factors. If you have heart disease caused by an underlying condition, follow a treatment plan to lead a healthy life. Take your prescription medication.
You should contact your doctor or go to the emergency room if:
- Angina begins to occur at rest
- Angina becomes more frequent
- The pain lasts more than 5 minutes