Symptoms of Angina Pectoris: Types, Causes, and Treatments

Angina Pectoris Explained: Symptoms, Causes, and Self-Care

What is Angina Pectoris?

Angina Pectoris or Ischemic Chest Pain is usually described as sensations of squeezing, pressure, heaviness, tightness, or pain in the chest. It happens because of insufficient oxygen-rich blood supply to the heart. Thus, the heart might pump blood more rapidly and forcefully to achieve increased blood flow, which might be severely painful. 

There has to be an essential understanding of the fact that, mostly, angina is a coronary artery disease, which is an underlying heart condition.

Types of Angina Pectoris

Angina comes in several kinds of differentiation. These are based on the causes and the improvement of symptoms through rest or medication:

What are the Symptoms of Angina?

The angina symptoms can vary significantly from one person to another but are most commonly:

1. Chest Pain or Discomfort

Angina is usually experienced as a feeling of tightness, squeezing, or fullness in the chest. Some people may have a sharp or burning sensation that could be confused with heartburn.

2. Pain Radiates

Angina discomfort may radiate to various areas such as the shoulders, neck, arms, upper back, teeth, and jaw, which means the heart is under stress.

3. Shortness of Breath

Many patients complain of shortness of breath with angina attacks, mainly when the individual undertakes physical activity or is in states of emotional stress that worsen the conditions.

4. Fatigue

Fatigue is one of the most common and overlooked symptoms of angina. It is more obvious after physical exertion as the heart couldn’t provide adequate blood flow during an angina attack.

5. Nausea or Sweating

Many times, during an episode, people feel nauseated or start cold sweating. It is crucial to look out for such symptoms as quick medical attention can save further complications.

Awareness of the angina symptoms can save you from serious health complications such as heart attacks if promptly treated by a physician.

What are the Causes of Angina?

Angina usually occurs as a result of diminished blood flow to the heart, and it is called Myocardial Ischemia. Several problems with the coronary arteries may impede blood flow to the heart, including:

1. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

CAD is the most seen angina in people. It develops when plaque, a fatty substance, covers up the coronary arteries that circulate blood to the heart. In time, this causes the arteries to constrict or calcify, which further lowers blood flow.

2. Coronary Microvascular Disease

More common in women and AFAB than in men and AMAB, it is a disease affecting the minuscule blood vessels branching from the coronary arteries. These vessels are not seen in standard CAD tests and require specialized testing that might not be readily available everywhere.

3. Coronary Artery Spasm

This is a situation whereby the coronary arteries constrict and then relax, temporarily interfering with blood flow to the heart. Even in the absence of coronary artery disease, spasms can occur and may not reveal themselves using standard CAD tests, which means they would require specialized testing that may not be available everywhere.

Angina Pectoris Risk Factors : 

Angina can develop or get severe due to many factors, such as: 

• Lower red blood cell count (anaemia).
• Diabetes
• Stress
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Eating a lot of saturated fats, trans fats, sugars, salt, or refined carbs.
• Heart valve ailments.
• High blood pressure.
• Family history of heart disease at a young age.
• Elevated cholesterol levels 
• Smoking
• Older age (over 45 for men and people AMAB, over 55 for women and people AFAB).
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart)
• Inflammation
• Metabolic syndrome
• Lack of physical activity
• Obesity
• Consumption of drugs

Note: More likely than men, women tend to present angina pectoris as their initial symptom of coronary artery disease by a ratio of 1:7:1. The number of women suffering from the disease is estimated at 4.6 million, and men at 3.3 million.

Diagnosis of Angina

Your doctor will administer a physical examination and ask about Angina symptoms, risk factors, and family histories. They may have to conduct some of the following tests, such as the following:

• Blood Tests: The physician would look for troponin proteins released as the result of damage to the heart muscle, usually because of a heart attack. These doctors may also check various other general tests like the metabolic panel or complete blood count.
• Imaging tests: Chest X-rays may help rule out other causes of chest pain, such as lung conditions. Echocardiograms, CT scans, and MRIs may provide images of your heart and any other problems.
• Cardiac Catheterization: Your doctor will insert a thin tube into an artery in your leg and guide it to your heart to assess blood flow and pressure.
• Coronary Angiography: Doctors inject dye into heart blood vessels. The dye contrasts structures in X-ray imaging so that they can view the blood vessels. This may be done as part of a procedure called cardiac catheterization.
• ECG: An electrocardiogram, or ECG, measures electrical activity and heartbeat rhythm and evaluates your heart's function.

What are the Angina Treatment Methods?

Your doctor may perform a physical check and run some tests to give a proper view of the condition of your disease and find the best cure for it. Some common angina treatments are:

• Use of anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs to decrease the probability of blood clotting
• Blood pressure medications
• Lipid-lowering medications
• Angina-specific medications
• Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is referred to as coronary angioplasty and stenting.
• Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) is another treatment for patients whose symptoms persist. This therapy applies pressure to the lower extremities to enhance blood flow to the heart and may help alleviate angina.

Even with the angina treatments, it might not entirely go away for some individuals. During pain, the doctor might prescribe a medication so your blood vessels can relax quickly. Nitroglycerin is probably one of the most commonly used medications in treating angina.

Prevention of Angina

You can assist in preventing angina by following some lifestyle changes that are used to treat angina:

• Eat a healthy diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Avoid or limit alcohol.
• Don’t smoke.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Manage other health conditions related to heart disease.
• Reduce stress.

Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day.

What are the Angina Self-Care Methods?

Effective angina self-care is one of the most essential factors in the management of symptoms and prevention of angina. Here are some of the most common methods of angina pectoris:

• Recognize Triggers: Observe and identify your triggers to avoid and be mindful during situations or activities that trigger angina episodes, such as strenuous exercise or high-stress situations.
• Use Medications as Directed: Ensure medicines are taken as prescribed and have nitroglycerin readily available when needed for rapid relief of angina pain.
• Practice Stress Management: This can be deep breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga, which can help alleviate stress and thus reduce the incidence of angina attacks.
• Adopt a Heart-friendly Diet: Focus on adding a balanced diet to your routine full of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats while limiting processed foods and sugars.
• Stay Active: Performing moderate exercises every day can reduce the risk of angina pectoris or other heart diseases. Brisk walking is considered one of the best cardio exercises. 

These self-care techniques will help individuals improve the management of angina symptoms and their overall quality of life.

Understanding the angina symptoms would greatly help identify whether chest pain is something serious or just heartburn. In case you or your loved one has a complaint of chest pain, do not hesitate to consult a doctor. 

You can also opt for Star Health Insurance services that provide comprehensive health insurance over many types of conditions and ensure you are taken care of as you plan your heart health journey.