 |
print the page |  |
email the page |  |
|
- What is angina?
- Symptoms of angina
- Causes of angina
- Prevention of angina
- Risk factors for angina
- Complications of angina
- When to see a doctor about angina
- Diagnosis of angina
- Conventional treatment of angina
- Alternative/complementary treatment of angina
- Living with angina
- Caring for someone with angina
Angina (medical name is angina pectoris) is chest pain that happens when the heart does not get an adequate supply of blood (and therefore oxygen).
Angina occurs as a symptom of myocardial ischaemia (also known as coronary artery disease). This occurs when the coronary (heart) arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart have an impaired function and that causes the heart to become starved of oxygen, which can make it hurt.
There are three main types of angina:
- Stable angina - this is the most common type of angina. It is brought on by physical exertion and a number of other activities (high emotions, prolonged stress, being in freezing cold temperatures, as well as smoking) and is usually relieved by rest or using angina medication and follows a regular pattern of pain for 1-3 mins (but not longer than 10 mins). This is the least serious form of angina (compared to the other types)
- Unstable angina - irregular pattern of angina and may be brought about by physical exertion or even when just resting. The pain is more frequent, more severe and may last longer (up to 30 mins) and may indicate a heart attack is about to occur. Unstable angina is a serious health condition which needs emergency medical treatment
- Variant angina - also called Prinzmetals angina, is not very common but affects more women than men. The pain occurs without warning, often while resting and even at night and can be caused by cocaine usage
Advertisement
Some facts about angina
- Angina is a very common condition - it affects approximately 1 in 50 people
- As many as 1 in 25 people have stable angina
- Angina, while not a serious condition, may signify that a potentially serious heart condition is underlying the pain and should be thoroughly investigated
- Angina can be hard to distinguish from other types of chest pain, such as the pain or discomfort of indigestion
- Having angina increases the risk of having a heart attack
- Angina is due to a temporary reduction in the flow of blood to a part of the heart muscle and will not cause damage to the heart itself
- Variant angina, which causes spasms of the artery walls may be caused by cocaine usage and these spasms may be so severe that they can cause a heart attack
- Variant angina is quite a rare condition and accounts for only 2% of all angina cases
- Angina is known medically as angina pectoris
- Angina is more common in women than in men
- Angina is not a heart attack
Advertisement
Sections: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
2: symptoms of angina > Last reviewed: 24 August 2007 || Last updated: 6 January 2009
Related Articles
NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
