Treatment for Angina Pectoris

Angina pectoris, or simply Angina, is a chest pain caused by the reduced blood supply to the heart muscle. Because of this, the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen, resulting in chest pain. 

One of the most prevalent causes of Angina pectoris is coronary artery disease, which causes constriction of the arteries that supply oxygen and blood to the heart muscle. Due to atherosclerosis or a blood clot, the arteries transporting blood to your heart narrow down and get blocked. 

Angina can be relieved or prevented using a variety of medications, including nitrates, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, aspirin, statins, ACE inhibitors, and ranolazine. 

Let us discuss the treatment for angina pectoris along with its symptoms and diagnosis. 

Symptoms of Angina Pectoris

A few symptoms of Angina Pectoris include:

  • Nausea 
  • Fatigue 
  • Dizziness. 
  • Sweating 

What is the diagnosis of Angina Pectoris?

The following tests may be conducted to determine the cause of Angina:

 An ECG  is a type of electrocardiogram.

An electrical impulse generated by certain cardiac cells causes the heart to beat. An ECG records these electrical signals as they pass through your heart. If you experience a heart attack and your heart’s blood flow has halted, your doctor can examine for patterns in your heartbeats.

Blood test

When your heart suffers from acute Angina or a heart attack, some enzymes, such as troponin, escape into the bloodstream, and the tests can identify them. Blood tests can reveal LDL, elevated cholesterol, and triglycerides, placing you at high risk for coronary artery disease.

CT scan of the heart

You must lie down on a table within a cone scanner for a heart CT scan. The X-ray tube on the machine revolves around your body, gathering images of your heart and chest to see if your arteries are blocked or if your heart has expanded.

Coronary angiography

X-ray imaging coronary angiography checks the inside of your heart’s blood vessels. It is a procedure that falls within the category of cardiac catheterisation. The X-ray machine quickly produces a sequence of images that show the inside of your blood vessels in great detail.

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging

The primary goal of this test is to determine whether the heart muscle receives adequate blood flow. This blood flow evaluation is examined twice with the addition of contrast material. This test can also assess cardiac function and determine whether the heart muscle has scars or not. MRI devices use radio waves, a  powerful magnetic field, and a computer to create detailed images.

Catheter angiography

Coronary angiography uses X-ray imaging to examine the inside of your heart’s blood veins. It is a procedure that belongs to the diagnostic and interventional categories. 

Echocardiogram

During this exam, a device that generates high-frequency sound waves is utilised to make moving images of the heart. It is possible to measure the motion of the heart’s walls. When it is pressured with pharmacological treatment, imaging can be used to detect decreased mobility in an area of the heart muscle.

Treatment

The question remains: what’s the best treatment for angina? Treatment for angina pectoris includes nitroglycerin. 

Your healthcare professional will choose a treatment plan based on the following factors:

  • Your age
  • Your current and previous health
  • How sick you are
  • How well you can tolerate specific medicines, treatments, or therapies
  • How long the condition is predicted to endure
  • Your opinion or choice.

If you have Angina, your doctor may prescribe medications. The most common is nitro-glycerine, which expands blood arteries to reduce pain. This permits more blood to circulate to your heart muscle, reducing the workload. Angina can be prevented by taking nitro-glycerine in a long-acting version daily. There are various other treatments for angina pectoris too. 

Conclusion

In this article, we have studied the treatment for angina pectoris. Angina is a persistent ache or discomfort in the chest. It occurs when a portion of your heart receives insufficient blood and oxygen. Angina is a sign of coronary artery disease. We also thoroughly covered the treatment for angina pectoris is nitroglycerin. 

Angina can cause pressing, squeezing, or crushing pain in the chest, both arms, neck, or ear lobes. Shortness of breath, weakness, or weariness is also some possible symptoms. The most commonly prescribed medication for Angina is nitroglycerin. Angina can also be treated by lowering blood pressure, quitting smoking, lowering cholesterol levels, eating less saturated fat, exercising, and losing weight.