Angina is a chest pain experienced when the heart muscles do not get enough oxygen rich blood. It is not a disease but rather a symptom of developing heart ailments. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Health Institutes, 7 million people in the United States experience this pain and 400,000 people report new cases of this pain every pain.
There are four types of this pain. They are: stable, unstable, variant and microvascular types.
Stable Type: It happens when the heart works harder than usual. It indicates towards a possible risk of heart attack in future. It goes away with rest or on taking medicine. It follows a stable pattern which allows a person to predict it.
Unstable Type: It is the most dangerous of all the types. It follows no pattern, does not go away with rest or medication and is a sure indicator of heart attack.
Variant Type: It is a rare and severe pain which occurs mostly between midnight and early morning. It occurs when the person rests and goes away with the intake of medicine.
Microvascular Type: It is the most severe type lasting for a longer period of time. Relief is not provided medication.
Causes of Angina:
Smoking, high blood pressure, high blood sugar level and high cholesterol lead to developing of hard cell debris called plaque in the pathways of the arteries and veins of heart. This reduces the flow of oxygen rich blood to and from the heart. It causes the pain.
Smoking, heavy meals and emotional stress cause stable type of this pain. The unstable type is caused by totally or partly blocked blood clots in the pathways of heart. Smoking, cocaine use, exposure to cold, intake of medicines which narrow the blood vessels and emotional stress cause variant type. Damaged or diseased artery walls, plaques and spasms in the arteries reduce the flow of blood to the heart causing microvascular type of this pain.
Symptoms of Angina:
- Pain in the chest
- Discomfort
- Burning
- Squeezing
- Pressure in the chest
- Tightness
- Pain in shoulders, arms, throat, neck and back
- Pain from indigestion
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness
- Confusion
- Light headedness
Electrocardiogram, X-ray of chest, stress testing, blood test, coronary Angiography and cardiac Catheterization are some of the techniques which can diagnose this pain.
Treatment of Angina:
Mild symptoms can be treated by life style changes and medicines. Severe signs are dealt with medical procedures and cardiac rehabilitation. Unstable type of this disease is a medical emergency requiring immediate medical attention.
