Do you experience chest pain while at rest in the middle of the night, or at a specific time of the day? Consider the possibility that you might have angina, a condition where fatty deposits narrow the arteries of your heart and restrict the blood flow. The pain of angina is often described as a constricting sensation or pressure on the chest and occurs during moments of physical or emotional stress. The pain goes away on its own once the stressful activity is over or can be relieved with medication. If the pain does not go away during rest or after taking medicine, it could mean that you are having or about to have a heart attack.
Types of Angina
There are several specific types of angina.
Unstable angina usually indicates the onset of typical angina and occurs while you’re at rest. Later on, the pattern changes with increasing frequency or severity for no apparently reason.
Variant angina also occurs at rest, especially at cold temperatures. What differentiates it, however, is that variant angina happens consistently during specific times of the day.
Tobacco angina is a type of angina that happens to cigarette or cigar smokers. Finally, angina with syncope is more common among the elderly and could indicate either aortic valve stenosis or severe coronary artery disease.
Angina Treatment
Treatment for angina aims to reduce the frequency of the symptoms and lower the risks of heart attack and death. If your symptoms are consistently mild, the only treatments you need are lifestyle changes and medication. Eat a healthy diet to prevent high blood pressure or high cholesterol. If your angina comes with stress, learn effective stress-handling techniques. Ask your doctor for advice about physical activity if your angina comes after exertion.
Three medicines you can take for your angina are beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and ACE inhibitors.
Beta blockers lower blood pressure and slows down the heart rate, preventing the onset of angina.
Calcium channel blockers relax the blood vessels so blood can easily flow to the heart, therefore reducing the pain of angina.
ACE inhibitors lower blood pressure, effectively reducing the risk of heart failure. Make sure you follow all your doctor’s orders and take your medication only as directed.