Angina (patient information)

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here

What is Angina?

Angina is chest pain or discomfort you get when your heart muscle does not get enough blood. It may feel like pressure or a squeezing pain in your chest. It may feel like indigestion. You may also feel pain in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back.

Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common heart disease. CAD happens when a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, reducing blood flow

What are symptom of Angina?

• chest pain
• feeling of chest pressure
• feeling of indigestion
• pain in shoulders,arms,jaw or back

Who is at risk of Angina?

Risk Factors You Can Change

• tobacco smoke
• high blood cholesterol
• depression
• weight:fat,body index of more than 28
• high blood pressure
• drinking too much alcohol

Risk Factors That You Cannot Change

• age: being older than 65 years or more
• gender: male
• heredity: having a history of cardiovascular diseases
• race: African Americans are at a higher risk
• Diabetes mellitus

=Tests used to Determine the Cause of Angina

• Several blood tests can be done by your doctor to determine whether or not your heart is damaged.
• Coronary angiography: is a test that involves the injection of a special dye into your coronary arteries so that visible images can be seen on x rays to show the inside of your coronary arteries and to determine whether or not there is any obstruction of blood flow.
• Electrocardiogram: Is a painless procedure in which a healthcare professional will measure the electrical activity of your heart to find whether there are any heart abnormalities or irregular heart beats.
• Echocardiogram: This is a painless test to identify whether some areas of your heart are not contracting normally.
• Stress testing: This test is done when you are exercising. This makes it easier for doctors to diagnosis heart disease.

When to seek urgent medical care?

• Persistent and severe chest pain
• Sudden drop in blood pressure
• Shortness of breathe
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Discomfort in shoulders,arms,jaws,neck or abdomen

Treatment options

• Life-style changes: controlling your weight and waistline, weaning smoking and alcohol, doing some exercises every week, avoiding stress
• Drugs: beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, aspirin, nitrates, statins and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Taking the drugs under doctor's direction.
• Percataneous coronary intervention: surgery to expand coronary arteries or to place stents in coronary arteries.

Diseases with similar symptoms

• Chest pain: you need to discriminate from acute coronary syndrome.
• Shortness of breathe: you need to discriminate from respiratory system diseases such as pneumonitis, pulmonary tuberculosis,etc.
• Indigestion: you need to discriminate from digestive system diseases such as gastritis,stomach ulcer,etc.
• Pain in shoulders,arms,jaw or back: you need to discriminate from scapulohumeral periarthritis, teeth diseases and etc. Template:WH Template:WS