Reduced blood flow to the heart is the cause of angina, a form of chest pain. One sign of coronary artery disease is angina.
Angina pectoris is another name for it.
Chest pain that feels tight, heavy, squeezing, or pressured is a common description of angina. Perhaps it will feel like a big weight resting on your chest. It may manifest as either a new pain that requires medical attention or as recurrent pain that improves with medication.
Even though it is a common condition, it can be challenging to differentiate it from other causes of chest pain, such as indigestion pain. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience unexplained chest pain.
Symptoms
Pain and discomfort in the chest are signs of it. The discomfort or pain in the chest could feel like:
- Flamming
- Completeness
- Apply pressure
- Pulling
- The arms, neck, jaw, shoulder, or back may also hurt.
Additional signs of angina consist of:
- lightheadedness
- weary
- emesis
- breathing difficulties
- perspiration
Angina can vary in severity, duration, and type. A heart attack or an unstable form of angina, which is more dangerous, may be indicated by new or different symptoms.
You should consult a healthcare professional right away if you experience any new or worsening angina symptoms so they can diagnose you with stable or unstable angina.
Angina in females
Women’s symptoms can differ from those of classic angina. Treatment requests may be put off as a result of these variations. For instance, although it may not be the sole or most common symptom for women with angina, chest pain is a common symptom. Women may also experience symptoms like these:
- pain in the back, teeth, jaw, or neck
- emesis
- breathing difficulties
- pain like a stab rather than chest pressure
- abdominal (or stomach) pain
Causes
Reduced blood flow to the heart muscle is the cause of angina. The oxygen that blood contains is necessary for the heart muscle to survive. Ischemia is the term for the condition that results from inadequate oxygen delivery to the heart muscle.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cause of decreased blood flow to the heart muscle. Plaques, which are fatty deposits, have the potential to narrow the coronary arteries in the heart. We refer to this as atherosclerosis.
A blood clot or plaque rupture in a blood vessel can rapidly obstruct or decrease blood flow through a constricted artery. This may cause the heart muscle’s blood flow to abruptly and drastically decrease.
When at rest or in other situations where there is little oxygen demand, the heart muscle may still be able to contract to reduce blood flow without producing angina symptoms. But angina can occur when there is a greater need for oxygen, as during exercise.
Complications
Angina can cause chest pain, which can make certain activities uncomfortable, like walking. Nevertheless, a heart attack is the most hazardous consequence.
The following are warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack:
- a persistent, center-chest pressure, fullness, or squeezing pain lasting longer than a few minutes
- pain that radiates from the chest to the back, shoulder, arm, or even the jaw and teeth
- losing consciousness
- a sense of impending disaster
- an increase in chest pain episodes
- vomiting and queasiness
- persistent discomfort in the upper abdomen (abdomen)
- breathing difficulties
- perspiration
In the event that you experience any of these symptoms, get emergency care right away.
Prevention
The same lifestyle modifications that are used to treat angina can also help prevent it. Among them are:
- refraining from smoking.
- consuming a balanced diet.
- limiting or abstaining from alcohol.
- working out frequently.
- keeping a healthy weight in mind.
- taking care of additional heart-related medical issues.
- lowering the tension.
- receiving the advised immunisations to prevent cardiac issues.
