Angina Pectoris

Introduction

This is a type of chest pain caused by the reduction in the blood supply to the heart muscle. Angina can be either stable (happens during exercise and lasts less than five minutes) or unstable (happens during exercise and lasts more than five minutes but is relaxed during rest).

One of the most prevalent causes of angina is coronary artery disease, which causes constriction of the coronary arteries, which supply blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. While angina is not the same as a heart attack, it does indicate a higher chance of one. Medical assistance must be sought immediately if any of its symptoms are noticed.

Angina Pectoris

Angina Pectoris definition says that it is a type of chest pain caused by a lack of blood flow to a portion of the heart. With pressure or squeezing in the chest, it can seem like one is experiencing a heart attack. This is also referred to as chemic chest pain or angina pectoris. 

To diagnose your illness, your doctor may use an electrocardiogram (ECG), a stress test without imaging, or blood testing. A chest x-ray, chest CT, coronary CT angiography, cardiac MRI, coronary angiography, echocardiography, or stress test with imaging may also be conducted. In addition to other treatment choices like medication, surgery, or angioplasty and arterial stenting, your doctor may recommend certain lifestyle adjustments. 

It happens when something plugs your arteries, or there is not enough blood flow in the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart, and it’s a symptom of heart disease. Angina is usually short-lived. Even so, it could be a sign of a potentially fatal heart problem.

Angina Pectoris Classification

It includes several types:

  • Angina is stable. This is the most widely used. Physical exercise or stress could set it off. It’s not a heart attack, but it’s a symptom that you are on the verge of one. If this ever occurs to you, tell your doctor

  • Angina, that is not stable. This can be consumed while at rest or are not particularly active. The pain might be severe and last for an extended period, possibly recurrence. It could be an indication that you have a heart attack, so get medical help immediately now

  • Microvascular angina. In this, you experience chest pain but no coronary artery blockage if you have this type. Instead, it occurs when your coronary arteries malfunction, preventing your heart from getting the blood it needs. Chest pain usually lasts longer than 10 minutes. Women are more likely to experience this condition

  • Angina Prinzmetal (variant angina). This kind is uncommon. It may occur at midnight while you are sleeping or resting. Your heart’s arteries suddenly tighten or narrow. You have to deal with it because it can cause significant pain

Symptoms of Angina

The symptom is chest pain. However, it affects people in different ways. You could have:

  • Aching

  • Burning

  • Discomfort

  • Dizziness

  • Fatigue

  • A sense of heaviness in your chest

  • Pressure or a sense of heaviness

  • Vomiting or an upset stomach

  • Breathing problems

  • Squeezing

  • Sweating

Women’s Angina vs. Men’s Angina

Pain in the chest, neck, and shoulders is common among men. Women may have pain in their stomach, neck, jaw, throat, or back. Shortness of breath, sweating, and dizziness are all possible symptoms.

According to one study, women were more likely to describe the experience as “pressing” or “crushing.”

Causes of Angina

Heart disease is one of the most common causes of angina pectoris. Plaque, a fatty substance that forms in your arteries, blocks blood flow to your heart muscle. Your heart is forced to operate with less oxygen due to this. This is infuriating. You could potentially develop blood clots in your heart’s arteries, leading to heart attacks.

The following are some of the less prevalent reasons for chest pain:

  • An obstruction in one of your lungs’ main arteries (pulmonary embolism)

  • A thicker or enlarged heart (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)

  • A valve in the major section of your heart narrows (aortic stenosis)

  • The sac around your heart is swollen (pericarditis)

  • Supposed tearing in the wall of your aorta, the body’s biggest artery (aortic dissection)

Risk Factors for Angina

Some aspects of your personality or lifestyle may increase your risk of angina, such as:

  • Getting older

  • Heart disease runs in the family.

  • Blood pressure that is too high

  • Obesity diabetes, high cholesterol

  • Using tobacco to relieve stress

  • Insufficient physical activity

Diagnosis of Angina

Your doctor will examine you and ask you questions about your symptoms, risk factors, and family history. They may need to perform tests such as:

  • ECG-This test monitors the electrical activity and rhythm of your heart

  • A stress test will be conducted. This monitors your heart’s activity when you work out

  • Tests on the blood. Troponins are proteins that your doctor will look for. A significant number of them are released when your heart muscle is injured, such as during a heart attack. Your doctor may request more comprehensive testing, such as a metabolic panel or a complete blood count (CBC)

  • Imaging tests are performed. Other problems causing chest pain, such as lung disorders, can be ruled out using chest X-rays. Echocardiograms, CT scans, and MRI scans can all produce images of your heart that can aid your doctor in detecting abnormalities

  • Catheterization of the heart is a procedure that involves inserting a catheter into the heart. To check your blood flow and pressure, your doctor threads a long, thin tube through an artery in your leg and up to your heart. Your doctor does angiography of the coronary arteries, your heart’s blood arteries. An x-ray image of your blood vessels is created using the dye. During cardiac catheterization, they may do this procedure

Treatment for Angina Pectoris

Your treatment will be determined by the extent of your heart’s damage. Medicine and lifestyle adjustments can often assist persons with moderate angina pectoris to improve their blood flow and regulate their symptoms.

Your doctor may prescribe one or more of the following medications:

  • Calcium channel blockers, such as nitrates relax and widen blood vessels, allowing more blood flow to your heart

  • Beta-blockers help your heart work less hard by slowing it down

  • To avoid blood clots, blood thinners or antiplatelet medicines are used

  • Statins help to decrease cholesterol and keep plaque from forming

Conclusion

You can still be active, but you should pay attention to your body. Stop what you are doing and rest if you are in discomfort. Understand what causes your angina, such as stress or strenuous exercise. Try to stay away from things that are likely to irritate it. If large meals cause problems, then consume smaller meals more frequently. If the pain persists, communicate with your doctor about having more testing or altering your medications. It’s critical to get checked out if you have angina because it could indicate something dangerous. 

These lifestyle suggestions may help you keep your heart healthy; 

1- Stop smoking as it can harm your blood vessels and raise your risk of heart disease.  

2- Reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol levels by eating a heart-healthy diet. When these values are outside of the usual range, your risk of heart disease increases. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean meat, and fat-free or low-fat dairy should make up the majority of your diet. Limit your intake of salt, fat, and sugar. 

3- Relax by using stress-relieving techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga.

 4- You should exercise regularly.

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