What is Angina Pectoris and How to Deal With It?

Angina pectoris is a chest pain or discomfort due to coronary heart disease. It is not a disease but is a symptom of a heart condition described as myocardial ischemia.

he heart which is made of special muscle (myocardium) pumps blood into arteries (blood vessels). The arteries take the blood to every part of the body. Like any other muscle, the heart muscle needs a good blood supply. Angina occurs when the heart muscle (myocardium) doesn't get enough blood and oxygen because of one or more of the heart's arteries is narrowed or blocked. Insufficient blood supply is called ischemia.

In simple terms pain or discomfort felt in the chest due to insufficient blood supply to the heart is what is angina pectoris.

It is common in people over the age of 50 however it can occur at younger ages also. It is more common in men than women. Angina pain generally last from 1 to 15 minutes. There can be multiple instances of such pain during a week.

Angina is felt as fullness, uncomfortable pressure, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest. Other symptoms include weakness, indigestion, sweating, nausea, cramping, and shortness of breath. The discomfort can move to jaw, neck, shoulder, back or arm. It is important to note that all such pains may not be of angina. Acid reflux (heartburn) and lung infection or inflammation can have the same symptoms.

It often gets triggered in the activities that require more blood in the heart, such as sudden fast running where as walking might not. Angina may happen during exercise, strong emotions or extreme temperatures. Some times it can occur while resting in the people who get heart muscle spasm.

People with valve heart disease and people with enlarged heart (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can also get angina attacks. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can also cause angina.

Angina is a warning signal. Though it does not cause permanent damage to the heart, it is serious because it is an indicator of underlying coronary artery disease. In some people it can progress to cause a heart attack, and death. Activities like climbing stairs and limits the amount of exercise you can perform gets limited in angina.

During an angina attack you should stop what you are doing and wait for the pain to pass. If the pain lasts for longer than 15 minutes, you should dial 999.

Learn about causes, symptoms, prevention methods and home remedies for angina pectories in the other related articles:

What is Angina Pectoris and How to Deal With It?

Other related articles