What is angina pectoris?

Sudden sharp pains in the chest area are the first signs of angina pectoris. In people, this disease is called "chest toad." What is angina? Than this disease is dangerous? What are the reasons for his appearance? We will try to answer these questions.

What is angina pectoris?

This disease is one of the types of ischemic heart disease. Angina is a consequence of progressive atherosclerosis of the heart arteries. The appearance of atherosclerotic plaques leads to a narrowing of the lumen of the vessels. As a result, the heart receives blood in a small volume, insufficient for its normal functioning. So there is oxygen starvation, accompanied by bouts of pain.

What is angina and what are its symptoms

With this pathology, severe pressing pains occur in the region of the heart, radiating into the arm, the left shoulder, the lower jaw, the area between the shoulder blades and the neck. Most often, the symptoms of the disease are manifested during physical exertion, with overheating or severe hypothermia, in a stressful situation, after taking fatty and heavy meals. As a rule, after a short rest and taking medications, the pains disappear. The main feature of angina pectoris lies in the fact that the duration of the symptoms of the disease last no more than five minutes.

Types of disease

• Stenocardia of tension. This pathology occurs at the initial stages of the development of the disease. Typically, seizures occur during fast walking, when climbing upwards, with excessive excitement, sudden temperature changes, smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, overeating.
• Angina of rest - characterized by the appearance of pain in the absence of any physical exertion. Symptoms of the disease can occur in the patient in the supine state (when falling asleep) and decrease in the sitting position and after taking the drug "Nitroglycerin". Usually, the attack of angina lasts about fifteen minutes. Often, with this pathology, there may be tachycardia, high blood pressure and shortness of breath, often turning into asthma.
• Stable angina. Attacks last from three to five minutes and arise in certain situations (when performing the same action or physical exercise). For this type of angina characterized by the following symptoms: pain is localized primarily behind the breastbone, in the neck and gives to the left shoulder blade, arm or back. Symptoms of the disease appear when climbing up the stairs, in the morning after eating, in frosty and windy weather. Usually, bouts of the disease last from two to ten minutes.
• Unstable angina. It is characterized by rather long attacks (10 - 15 minutes). They arise in unusual situations until now and become almost unpredictable.

Than this pathology is dangerous

Severe angina pectoris can cause a dangerous disease such as myocardial infarction.

Treatment

First of all, it is necessary to reduce the likelihood of manifestation of factors contributing to the occurrence of angina pectoris. These include increased blood pressure, overweight , increased cholesterol levels in the blood, smoking. The attending physician appoints beta-blockers, which reduce the strength and heart rate, as well as drugs that prevent vasospasms. In cases where drug therapy does not give the desired results, surgical intervention is performed, aimed at restoring blood flow in the affected part of the heart.

Patients who know firsthand what angina is, should keep to moderate physical activity, eat only healthy food, do not overeat, do not consume alcoholic beverages and refuse to smoke.