What is angina ?
Angina is a pain, tightness or chest. The pain occurs with exertion and disappears as soon as you rest. The pain can pass through to your neck, jaw, shoulder or arm.
The symptoms are annoying and can make you anxious, because they can resemble a heart attack. Angina is usually harmless if the pain goes away at rest immediately. What is the difference between a heart attack? With a heart attack, the symptoms do not go away when you rest. There may also be more phenomena of a heart attack, such as restlessness, nausea, pallor, sweating or clammy skin.
Can angina evil ?
Chest pain from angina usually can not hurt. It is a warning that the heart gets enough oxygen.
Take rest when the pain comes. Then the heart recovers. Usually the symptoms within a few minutes away. The heart may be damaged if the lack of oxygen lasts longer than 15 minutes.
Many people live for years with angina pectoris without a heart attack occurs.
How is angina pectoris ?
Angina pectoris is caused by the narrowing of one or more coronary arteries of your heart. We call that atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis. The vessels of the heart bring oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. Because the coronary arteries are narrower, less oxygen-rich blood can come into the heart. This results in the pain.
If the heart has to work harder needs. Extra oxygen for instance:
*on exertion,
*with stress,
*with strong emotions,
*after a heavy meal and
*at the transition from cold to heat.
In these situations, the lack of oxygen extra large and occur more quickly complaints.
Advice for angina pectoris
*Quitting smoking is the most important. Smoking is harmful to your blood vessels.
Exercise is good for your heart and blood vessels. Make sure you have enough "breath" on hold during the effort to talk. Take as needed in advance a tablet under the tongue. Rest when you get complaints.
*Eat healthy.
*Drink little or no alcohol.
*If you are overweight, try to lose weight. Obesity is an additional burden on your heart.
*Try to get. Causes of stress to There are verschillene ways to cope with stress.
So you can attack of angina prevention:
*Do not force anything on exertion.
*Avoid stress and heavy meals.
*Make sure you always have a tablet isosorbide dinitrate or nitroglycerin spray for under the tongue at you.
It may be that you know in which situations an attack may come. Use before the drug under the tongue.
You can do this with an attack of angina pectoris:
*Do you feel an attack coming on, then sit or lie go.
*If the pain does not fall rapidly, place a tablet (or puff) under your tongue.
*Does not help that after five minutes, then take a second tablet (or puff).
*Yet, this helps five minutes later take a third tablet (or puff).
*Helps the third tablet (or puff) not, call your doctor immediately.
Living with angina
Many people with angina have a normal life. No smoking, healthy eating and plenty of exercise are important. To reduce the risk of a heart attack. Below are more tips in everyday life:
Sports
Exercise may include angina pectoris. You can choose the best for not too heavy sports such as walking, cycling, swimming or golf. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure whether you can do. Your sport
Driving
Driving is not a problem if the angina is well under control. Do you get pain while driving? Try on the side to turn the car. Take one tablet or spray under the tongue and wait until symptoms are gone.
If the angina is not under control, you should not drive.
Sex
Usually sex in angina pectoris no problem. Maybe you're afraid of having an attack. During sex That is rare. You may keep a tablet or spray under the tongue to take before sex.
Some medications for angina pectoris affect sex. Beta-blockers could give erection problems. In women, they may ensure that the vagina is moist slower.
If your body gets used to the medication, the side effects are usually less. You can safely discuss sexuality issues with your doctor. Maybe the doctor can prescribe other medications.
Treatment for angina pectoris
Angina is treated with medication. There are medications to stop an attack and medication to prevent seizures.
The cause of the attacks, the narrowed blood vessel, can not be cured with medication. It is possible to thin the blood and prevent clots.
Also, it can be more closely be braked with cholesterol-lowering drugs of a coronary artery.
What next for angina ?
To prevent and reduce pain, follow the advice and take the medicine.
With time you will learn to recognize the symptoms and get to deal with it.