Find a Doctor and Make an appointment

BPH:e-Card

career at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital
Angina
 

What is angina?

 

Angina, also called angina pectoris, is a temporary chest pain, pressure or discomfort. It is a symptom of cardiac ischemia, a condition in which the flow of blood is restricted due to clogged arteries, valve problems or another heart condition.
More than six million Americans have angina. About 350,000 cases
are reported annually.

.......................................................................
What does angina feel like?
 
The term angina pectoris means “a choking sensation of the chest.” This describes how angina patients may feel. An angina attack may feel like a squeezing vice, a tightening or a crushing pressure deep in the chest, primarily behind the sternum, or breastbone. Angina may also be felt in the shoulders, arm, back, neck or jaw.

What are the four types of angina?
 
  1. Classical and stable

    Classical, or stable, angina occurs during or after the heart has a need for extra oxygen:

    • While smoking
    • Eating and digesting a heavy meal
    • During increased physical activity
    • In the midst of strong emotions
    • During sudden changes in temperature or altitude
  2. Variant and Prinzmetal

    Variant or Prinzmetal, angina occurs at rest. It is caused by a sudden spasm in one of the heart's blood vessels. In two thirds of people with variant angina, there is a severe blockage in at least one coronary artery.
  3. Unstable

    Unstable angina is an attack that may occur at any time, whether the person is active or at rest. Unstable angina may also refer to an attack that a physician initially suspected to be a heart attack.
  4. Microvascular

    Microvascular angina is a chest that appears to be due to poor function in the tiny blood vessels of the heart, arms and legs. With this type of angina, there is no apparent damage or blockage in the blood vessels of the heart.

    .......................................................................

How is angina diagnosed?

The physician can determine the presence of angina by listening to what the patient says during an attack. In addition, the physician may find an elevated heart rate, blood pressure and heartbeat.

 Additional tests may include:

  • Blood or urine tests
  • Exercise stress test
  • Nuclear imaging
  • Stress echocardiogram
  • Coronary angiogram

    .......................................................................

How is angina treated?

In patients with mild angina attacks, a combination of medications and lifestyle changes is usually recommended.

 Medications may include:

  • Beta blockers
  • Nitrates
  • Calcium channel blockers
  • Antiplatelets

Lifestyle changes may include:
  • A healthy diet, low in fat and cholesterol
  • Regular exercise
  • Quitting smoking
  • Controlling diabetes and/or high blood pressure
For patients with serious angina attacks, further procedures may be necessary, such as:
  • Balloon angioplasty
  • Stenting
  • Coronary artery bypass grafting
  • Minimal invasive bypass surgery
  • Directional atherectomy
  • Transmyocardial revascularization
  • External counterpulsation (EECP)