Angina refers to chest pain during activities such as exercise or stress when the heart is exerted and working harder. It is essential to differentiate between Angina and other types of chest pain because their treatments differ and can have varying long-term effects on health.
Angina treatment depends on the severity of symptoms and the condition's underlying cause. It typically involves lifestyle changes, medications, and possibly medical procedures to improve blood flow and reduce heart strain. Furthermore, purchasing health insurance can be a wise decision to address potential medical expenses related to these conditions. Now, let us take a look at how Angina is treated.
Treatment of Angina
Following are some ways of angina treatment:
- Nitrates: Nitrates relax and widen blood vessels, reducing the workload on the heart by improving blood flow to the heart muscle. They are often used to provide rapid relief during angina episodes, helping to alleviate chest pain and discomfort.
- Aspirin: Aspirin is an antiplatelet medication that inhibits blood clot formation by reducing the stickiness of platelets. It is used to prevent the formation of blood clots in narrowed coronary arteries, promoting better blood flow.
- Clot-preventing drugs: They are often prescribed with aspirin to minimize the risk of clot-related issues in coronary arteries.
- Beta-blockers are used to manage Angina by decreasing the workload on the heart, making them particularly useful for chronic stable Angina and reducing the frequency and severity of episodes.
- Calcium channel blockers: These are used to dilate coronary arteries, enhance blood flow to the heart, and reduce the frequency of angina episodes, particularly in vasospastic Angina.
- Ranolazine: It is used in angina treatment to manage chronic Angina, especially when other medications may not be fully effective, by improving blood flow to the heart and reducing angina symptoms.
- An alternative for individuals experiencing persistent pain is Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP). This therapeutic option involves applying pressure to the lower legs to enhance blood circulation to the heart. By doing so, EECP seeks to alleviate angina symptoms.
- Lifestyle changes: Addressing Angina involves lifestyle modifications such as quitting smoking, achieving a healthy weight, and managing high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
Adapting daily activities more slowly is beneficial, especially if certain activities consistently trigger Angina. Considering that the heart is under increased stress in the mornings and after meals, reducing physical activity during these times can be helpful.
Additionally, managing stress and anger through techniques like stress-reduction programs or meditation is advised, mainly if these emotional factors regularly contribute to angina episodes. These lifestyle adjustments collectively play a crucial role in controlling and mitigating the impact of Angina.