Introduction-
Angina pectoris is a cardiovascular disease. It is characterised by sudden attacks of chest pain and thus discomfort. This happens due improper oxygenation of the heart, usually by impaired blood flow to the heart. Moreover Angina is usually exacerbated by stress or physical exertion. It typically occurs concurrently with coronary artery disease.
Symptoms –
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- shortness of breath
- pain referred to the neck, shoulder, jaw, arm, or back
Types of angina-
- Stable
- Unstable
- Variant
Stable :
In stable angina, pain usually occurs for short periods of time, which can range upto 15 minutes. It thus goes away with a few minutes of rest or after taking medications. The common triggers for stable angina are while exercising, doing extreme physical work, going out in cold weather or emotional stress. These situations force the heart to work harder than usual.
Unstable:
An unstable angina attack can happen at any time, even at rest. It can occur with or without physical exertion.It is unpredictable and more severe than stable angina. It may last more than 20 minutes.
Variant:
Also called as Prinzmetal’s angina, occurs when a person is at rest, usually between midnight and early morning. Also, these attacks can be very painful. It is rare. Usually occurs due to spasm of coronary arteries which may be due to following reasons-
- Exposure to cold weather
- Stress
- Smoking
- Cocaine
Variant angina shows transient ST-segment elevation on ECG during an attack of chest pain. Ischemic episodes also occur during mild exercise in the early morning. Other important clinical features of variant include the high frequency of asymptomatic ischemic episodes and the syncope that may follow ischemia.
Other precipitating factors of coronary artery spasm include imbalance in autonomic nervous activity, increased oxidative stress, chronic low-grade inflammation, magnesium deficiency, and genetic susceptibility. Calcium channel blockers are effective in preventing coronary spasm. Because variant type can lead to acute myocardial infarction, fatal arrhythmias, and sudden death, early treatment is important.
What causes angina?
Angina is usually is a result of imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and myocardial oxygen demand. Chest discomfort is therefore attributed to myocardial ischemia without the presence of necrosis and is the most common symptom occurring. Studies show that endothelial dysfunction, is now considered an important early event in the development of atherosclerosis. However, In absence of coronary artery disease, anginal chest pain is often attributed to microvascular coronary dysfunction. Moreover, atherosclerotic plaques affect coronary flow, causing obstructions.
Lifestyle changes to be incorporated –
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Avoid smoking and alcohol
- Maintain low cholesterol
- Exercise
- Follow proper diet
Also read- https://vcurehealthcare.com/carpal-tunnel-syndrome-and-its-risk-with-your-occupation/
