Angina pectoris is chest pain due to coronary heart disease. Wind sitting or angina pectoris occurs when the heart muscle does not get enough blood supply because the arteries in the heart are narrowed or blocked.
Angina pectoris can happen at any time and to anyone. Pain from angina pectoris is often mistaken for a symptom of other conditions, such as acid reflux and inflammation of the lungs.
Symptoms of Angina Pectoris
Angina pectoris is characterized by left chest pain such as squeezing, burning, stabbing or feeling full. The pain may radiate to the arms, shoulders, back, neck, and jaw. Other symptoms that can accompany the pain include:
- Excessive sweating, even though the weather is not hot.
- Nauseous.
- Tired.
- Dizzy.
- Hard to breathe.
Based on the characteristics of the symptoms, angina pectoris can be divided into:
stable angina
stable angina or stable angina often occurs when the sufferer performs strenuous activities or when experiencing emotional stress. Sangina table it has a regular pattern, of short duration, usually no more than 5 minutes. Rest and medication will usually reduce complaints.
Unstable angina
Unstable angina This is the more dangerous type of angina. This type of angina usually appears suddenly, does not depend on the activity performed, and can continue even though the sufferer is resting.
Occurrence time unstable angina longer with more severe pain intensity than stable angina.
Symptoms caused by this type of angina also do not go away even though the patient is resting or taking medication. Uunstable angina usually a sign of a heart attack.
Prinzmetal's angina
In contrast to the two types of angina previously described, Prinzmetal's angina This is caused by stiffness in the arteries of the heart, resulting in a temporary decrease in the amount of blood flow.
Prinzmetal's angina This is a rare type of angina. This type of angina usually appears at rest, at night, or in the morning. The intensity of the pain is quite severe but usually can be subsided with the administration of drugs.
When to go to the doctor
If this is the first time you experience chest pain and discomfort, consult your doctor immediately. Complaints of chest pain may point to the condition of angina pectoris caused by heart disease.
In addition, you need to see a doctor, if the angina pectoris you experience lasts for a long time and does not improve after rest.
Because angina pectoris is often caused by coronary heart disease, you are advised to consult a doctor if you have a history of hypertension, high cholesterol, and have an unhealthy lifestyle, such as frequent consumption of fatty foods, smoking, and consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.
The sooner it is checked, the treatment for angina pectoris caused by coronary heart disease can be done faster. Thus, the risk of more severe complications can be prevented.
Causes and Risk Factors of Angina Pectoris
Angina pectoris is most often caused by coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease occurs due to the buildup of plaque in the arteries (atherosclerosis). Several factors that can increase the risk of coronary heart disease that can trigger angina are:
- Smoking habit.
- History of high blood pressure or hypertension.
- High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides.
- Suffering from diabetes.
- History of heart disease in the family.
- Rarely exercise and not actively moving.
- Experiencing obesity.
- Age over 45 years for men and over 55 years for women.
Diagnosis of Angina Pectoris
To diagnose angina pectoris, the doctor will ask the patient's complaints, as well as ask whether the patient has risk factors for coronary heart disease. After that, the doctor will perform a physical examination and perform several supporting tests for cardiac examination, such as:
- Electrocardiogram (EKG), to check the heart's electrical flow and monitor if there are disturbances in the heart rhythm.
- Cardiac echo, to find the location of the damage to the heart muscle and areas of the heart that are not getting enough blood flow.
- EKG treadmill (stress test). The purpose of this examination is the same as the ECG, but is performed while the patient is active.
- Chest X-ray, to check for an enlarged heart.
- Cardiac catheterization, to see the narrowing of the heart's blood vessels with the help of a catheter, special dyes (contrast), and X-rays.
- Cardiac scans, such as cardiac and nuclear heart CT scans, to show which parts of the heart vessels are blocked and parts of the heart that are not getting blood flow.
- Blood tests, to detect the presence of cardiac enzymes, whose levels in the blood can increase when the heart is not getting an adequate blood supply.
Angina Pectoris Treatment
Treatment of angina pectoris aims to reduce complaints and symptoms, and prevent complications such as heart attacks. The treatment given to each patient can be different, depending on the condition he is experiencing.
Usually, patients who experience angina pectoris will be given drugs to reduce complaints. Below is a breakdown of the various ways of treating angina pectoris:
Drugs
Some types of drugs that can be given by doctors to relieve angina symptoms are:
- Blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin, clopidogrel, or ticagrelor.
- Blood vessel widening drugs, such as nitroglycerin, to widen and relax blood vessels, so blood flow to the heart is better.
- Beta-blocking drugs, to slow the heart rate and relax blood vessels, thereby reducing the workload of the heart.
- Drugs to control diabetes, cholesterol, and hypertension which are risk factors for coronary heart disease that causes angina.
Special medical procedures
If angina pectoris does not subside after medication, your doctor may recommend special medical procedures to treat it, including:
- Installation of a heart ring, to widen the narrowed arteries by placing a special wire (ring) shaped like a tube in the arteries of the heart.
- Operation bypass heart, namely by taking blood vessels from other parts of the body to create new blood flow channels instead of narrowed blood flow channels.
In addition to treatment for angina pectoris, patients need to undergo treatment for various risk factors for coronary heart disease that cause angina, such as hypertension and diabetes. Patients also need to make lifestyle changes to prevent these complaints from reappearing.
Lifestyle changes that need to be made include exercising regularly, adopting a good diet, stopping smoking, and getting enough rest.
Complications of Angina Pectoris
Angina pectoris is often caused by coronary heart disease. When the coronary arteries become narrower and completely blocked, a heart attack can occur which can be life-threatening. Therefore, angina pectoris needs to be checked since it is still an early symptom, or since the pain is still mild and can subside on its own with rest.
Prevention of Angina Pectoris
Angina pectoris which is usually caused by coronary heart disease can be prevented. The trick is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Healthy patterns and lifestyles that must be applied include:
- Quit smoking and limit the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Exercise regularly, and maintain an ideal body weight.
- Improve your diet, by eating foods low in fat and salt, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid eating foods high in saturated fat, such as sausages and fatty meats, butter, cheese, and fast food.
- Manage stress in a positive way, it can be yoga, meditation, or doing a fun hobby.
- Check with your doctor regularly if you have high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), or diabetes (diabetes).