Angina Pectoris - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Angina Symptoms and Signs
In a condition like this, you are likely to experience pain in the center of the chest, which may also travel into the neck, jaw, and arms (especially the left, where you heart is situated). Angina pain is usually described as a crushing or heavy or gripping pain. It mostly follows exercise, but may also be triggered by emotion, digesting a heavy meal, or going out in a cold wind. Sometimes you may also feel breathless.

Causes of Angina
Angina is rather similar to a cramp in a muscle during vigorous exercise. This is generally caused because the muscles of the heart do not receive enough oxygen (via the blood) for the work they are performing. This may also be because the blood vessels that supply the heart muscles with oxygen may have become narrowed; this may also be due to high cholesterol. The main cause of narrowing of the blood vessels besides other things is age; however, cigarette smoking accelerates this as well. To a lesser extent people who are obese (overweight), along with diabetics are also at a greater risk.

Angina Pectoris Diagnosis
The diagnosis of angina pectoris is largely from the history. Your doctor may also want you to undertake an electrocardiogram (ECG - a tracing which shows the electrical activity of the heart) and an exercise ECG (this involves walking on a treadmill while attached to an ECG). He is also likely to check your weight, blood pressure, various blood tests including blood sugar and cholesterol, and to discuss your smoking and drinking habits. All of these may be normal even though you are suffering from angina.

Angina Treatment
If you think you have angina pectoris you should consult your doctor. He may well prescribe some tablets to suck under your tongue (these are however cheaper to buy over the counter), or the same medication as a spray (this has a longer shelf life than the tablets which only last two months after opening). They work by opening the blood vessels, and as a result may give a side effect of throbbing headache. If this happens you can spit out the tablet as it will already be working on the blood vessels. Should you suffer from this side effect, persevere as it usually wears off after the first two or three tablets.

Angina usually lasts no longer than ten minutes, and if you get it you should stop what you are doing and take one of the tablets or a puff of the spray under your tongue. If an activity always seems to bring it on then it is wise to take the treatment before you start. If you are suffering frequently you should consult your doctor as he will probably wish to consider preventative treatment, which will involve regular tablets.

If your symptoms are not controlled by drugs and also if the tests suggest it, your doctor may refer you to a heart specialist (cardiologist) for consideration of further treatment. It is likely that at this stage you would have a test to show up the blood vessels, which supply oxygen to the heart muscle.

Further treatment is not necessary except in quite advanced cases and involves either using a tube to enlarge the blood vessels where they are narrowed or bypassing the blood vessels with alternative vessels.

Preventing Angina Pectoris
Here are some of the preventive measures for you:
* Do not smoke
* Lose weight if you are over weight
* Eat a low fat diet with a good fiber intake
* Take regular exercise and if possible build this up slowly. If necessary your doctor may arrange some help with this
* Avoid unnecessary stress and learn relaxation techniques
* Do not drink more than 21 units of alcohol per week if you are a woman or 28 per week if you are a man
* Do not add salt to your food