Angina (patient information)

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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 Template:WH Template:WS