Our daily lives are full of stress and anxiety. Many ailments originate as a result of this. One among them being angina is usually overlooked as indigestion or acidity. While in some cases angina is mild and temporary, on many occasions it is often life-threatening.
What people often fail to understand is that angina isn't a disease in itself, but a manifestation of rising cardiac issues. It's therefore vital to spot the angina pain symptoms and choose the proper treatment.
Angina is an early sign of coronary artery disease. People affected by this ailment tend to feel heaviness, tightness, pain, pressure or squeezing in their chest area. It often becomes difficult to differentiate between angina pain and pain occurring from indigestion. But one can always identify angina by observing the clinical angina symptoms.
What are the symptoms of angina?
- Left-side pain manifesting as burning, pressure, squeezing or fullness
- Pain in arms, neck, shoulders or back-related to pain
- Nausea
- Breathlessness
- Dizziness
What are the various types of angina?
Broadly, angina is classified into three types. They are Stable Angina, Unstable Angina, and Variant (Prinzmetal’s Angina).
Stable Angina
- Usually occurs once we engage in workouts or other strenuous activities
- Is predictable and shows similar traits with standard sorts of pain
- Usually lasts for fewer than 5 mins
- Stops once we rest
Unstable Angina
- Occurs even when the body is at rest
- Shows a significant deviation from the standard pattern of chronic stable angina
- Occurs unexpectedly
- Can last for 30mins with more severity and intensity than stable angina
- Not disappearing even under angina medication
Note: Unstable angina is typically one among the tell-tale signs of a possible attack.
Variant Angina (Prinzmetal’s Angina)
- Happens when the patient is at rest
- Comes with episodes of the utmost severity
- Might show positive results under angina medication
Note: Variant angina is extremely rare, and mainly occurs thanks to arterial blockages leading to reduced blood flow to the heart.
Factors contributing to the event of angina
- Tobacco Consumption
- Diabetes
- High vital sign
- High Blood Cholesterol
- Hereditary heart condition
- Old Age
- Sedentary Lifestyle
- Obesity
- Stress
- Anxiety
Medical practitioners usually diagnose angina by conducting subsequent clinical tests:
- Electrocardiogram
- Stress Test
- Echocardiogram
- Nuclear assay
- Chest X-Ray
- Blood Tests
- Coronary Angiography
- Cardiac computed tomography
- Cardiac MRI
What are the possible treatments for angina?
- Quit smoking
- Opt for clinically prescribed weight loss programs
- Keep ‘Bad’ Cholesterol, i.e. LDL levels under check
- Eat more whole grains, fruits, vegetables
- Consult doctors and nutritionists for suggesting physical workouts
- Reduce workplace stress and exertions, and check out to relax
- Avoid overeating
- Reduce alcohol consumption
2. Angina Medication
When lifestyle alterations fail, patients can choose the subsequent clinically prescribed and monitored medications:
- Nitrates
- Aspirin
- Clot Preventing Drugs
- Beta-Blockers
- Statins
- Calcium Channel BlockersBlood Pressure Lowering Medicines
- Ranolazine
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3. Surgery
Usually, patients recover under medications, but increasing complexity sometimes involves conducting anybody of the subsequent medically recommended surgery:
- Angioplasty
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Keep in Mind
Angina symptoms are one among the first perplexing ailment signs that cause wrong decisions. Therefore, strictly follow the above guidelines and seek immediate guidance from experienced professionals. All the surgeries, medications and diagnostic procedures should be clinically recommended and subject to periodic monitoring.
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