Angina is a symptom of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), the most common type of heart disease. This happens when the plaque builds up in the coronary arteries. This build up of plaque is called atherosclerosis. As the plaque builds up, the coronary arteries become narrower and stiff. Blood flow to the heart is then reduced. This decreases the oxygen supply to the heart muscle.
Angina is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle does not get enough blood to it. It may feel like pressure or a squeezing pain in your chest. The pain may also occur in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. It can even feel like indigestion.
There are three types of Angina and it is important to know the differences among the different types.
Stable angina is the most common and it happens when the heart is working harder than usual. With stable angina, a regular pattern will occur. After a short time, you will recognize the pattern/s, predicting when an episode can happen. The pain will disappear in a short time after a rest or if you take angina medication. Stable angina is not a heart attack but makes it more likely that you will have a heart attack in the future.
Unstable angina is a very dangerous condition that requires immediate emergency treatment. It is a sign that a heart attack could occur soon! It does not follow a pattern. It can occur without physical exertion and is not relieved by rest or medicine.
Variant angina is rare and usually occurs at rest. The pain can be severe and usually occurs between midnight and early morning. It is relieved by medicine.
Please remember not all chest pain or discomfort is angina. However, all chest pain should be checked by a doctor.
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Myocardial infarction (MI) means that part of the heart muscle suddenly loses its blood supply. Without immediate treatment, this can lead to damage to the affected part of the heart. An MI is often called a heart attack or a coronary thrombosis.
The heart pumps blood into arteries (blood vessels) which take the blood to every part of the body. The heart muscle, like all muscles, always needs a good blood supply. The coronary arteries take blood to the heart muscle. The main coronary arteries branch off from the aorta. (The aorta. is the large artery that takes oxygen-rich blood from the heart chambers to the body.) The main coronary arteries divide into smaller branches then take blood to all parts of the heart muscle.
If someone has an MI, a coronary artery, or one of its smaller branches is suddenly blocked. The part of the heart muscle supplied by this artery loses its oxygen and blood supply. This part of the heart muscle is at risk of dying, unless the blockage is quickly undone. The word ‘infarction’ means death of some tissue due to a blocked artery which stops blood from getting past.
If one of the main coronary arteries is blocked, a large part of the heart muscle is affected. If a smaller branch artery is blocked, a smaller amount of heart muscle is affected. In people who survive an MI, the part of the heart muscle that dies (‘infarcts’) is replaced by scar tissue over the next few weeks.
A small MI occasionally happens without causing pain (a ‘silent MI’). It may be pain-free, or sometimes the pain is mild and you may think it is only heartburn or ‘wind’. Collapse and sudden death may occur with a large or severe MI.
MIs are easier to diagnose these days due to the increase in technology advances. They may become avoidable through greater education and healthier choices in lifestyle
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Most arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) neither cause symptoms nor interfere with the heart’s ability to pump blood. Thus, they usually pose little or no risk. They can cause considerable anxiety if a person becomes aware of them. There are some arrhythmias, harmless in themselves that can lead to more serious arrhythmias.
Any arrhythmia that impairs the heart’s ability to pump blood adequately is serious. How serious, depends in part on where the arrhythmia originates. Is it in the heart’s normal pacemaker, in the atria, or in the ventricles? Generally, arrhythmias which originate in the ventricles are more serious than those that originate in the atria. These are more serious than those that originate in the pacemaker. However, there are many exceptions.
For people who have a harmless, yet worrisome arrhythmia, reassurance that the arrhythmia is harmless may be treatment enough. Sometimes arrhythmias occur less often or even stop, when doctors change a person’s drugs or adjust the dosages. Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, smoking, or strenuous exercise can also help.
Antiarrhythmic drugs are useful for suppressing fast arrhythmias that cause intolerable symptoms or pose a risk. No single drug cures all arrhythmias in people. Sometimes several drugs must be tried until the response is satisfactory. Sometimes antiarrhythmic drugs can worsen or even cause arrhythmias; this effect is called proarrhythmia. Antiarrhythmic drugs can also produce other side effects.
Artificial pacemakers are electronic devices that act in place of the heart’s own pacemaker. These devices are implanted surgically under the skin, usually below the left or right collarbone. They are connected to the heart by wires running inside a vein. New circuitry has almost completely eliminated the risk of interference from automobile distributors, radar, microwaves, and airport security detectors.
Any abnormality within the chest is wise to get checked out by your family doctor.
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