Angina pectoris, often referred to simply as angina, is a type of excruciating chest pain. Angina is always a side effect of coronary artery disease but can represent complications of its own. Angina pain is similar to other forms of chest pain and pressure, which makes it tough to identify. It will typically feel like someone is standing on top of your chest, resulting in tightness, pressure, squeezing, and constriction.
Because angina pain is the result of coronary artery disease, which is caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart, it is a serious condition. Therefore, if you have any suspicions that your chest pain is stemming from angina rather than heartburn or indigestion, you should call your doctor immediately. If you do indeed have angina, they will have treatment options available to ease your pain and to keep your angina from causing a heart attack.
Because there are several different types of angina, and not all of them are as serious as others, there are many medication options for treating angina. The goal of angina medication is to prevent angina attacks and take away any pain you are experiencing. The overarching goal, however, is to treat the heart problem that is causing your angina and to prevent a heart attack from occurring. Here are some of the most common angina medications.
If your angina is not life-threatening and a recent discovery, there is a chance that aspirin is enough to treat it. Aspirin is an over-the-counter blood thinner that can increase blood flow to the heart.
If aspirin is not enough to increase blood flow, anticoagulants such as warfarin will be necessary to keep your blood from clotting and restricting flow to the heart.
Most forms of coronary artery disease and heart disease are caused partially by high cholesterol and/or blood pressure. Statins, ACE inhibitors, and angiotensin II receptor blockers are the most effective medications for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.
Lowering the blood pressure is necessary because the higher your blood pressure is, the harder your heart has to work. Therefore, by lowering the blood pressure, you’re making it easier for your heart to pump blood throughout the body. And the less your heart has to work, the less likely you are to experience angina.
Beta-blockers are also a good option if you have high blood pressure that’s causing your angina. Beta-blockers, such as atenolol, slow down your heart rate, resulting in reduced blood pressure.
If your arteries and veins are too narrow, resulting in high blood pressure and reduced blood flow, calcium channel blockers can restore them to normal size.
Nitrates, such as nitro-glycerine, are often the preferred medication to treat angina. Nitrates naturally enlarge your blood vessels to increase blood flow to the heart and reduce blood pressure.
Like all medications, there are unwanted side effects to medications that treat angina. While side effects will vary from medication to medication, they typically include headaches, light-headedness, low blood pressure, nausea, dizziness, rapid heart rate, flushing, and more.
Another common treatment is enhanced external counterpulsation therapy (EECP). EECP is when pressure gets applied to your legs and lower body to force blood to the heart. This is an effective and non-invasive way to treat angina.
If EECP and medications are not enough to treat your angina, you will require either angioplasty or open-heart surgery.
Angioplasty is accompanied by a stent and is performed to manually widen your blood vessels to increase blood flow.
Open-heart surgery for angina, also known as a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), is when your surgeon reroutes blood flow to the heart by installing a second artery.
Because of how serious and invasive surgery to treat angina is, there may be temporary side effects during your recovery. These can include a loss of appetite, pain in the back, muscle pain, mood swings, insomnia, depression, constipation, numbness, tingling, and chest pain.
Regardless of what other treatments your doctor performs, it is always necessary to make lifestyle changes if you struggle with angina. This includes exercising, eating a healthy diet, and attending regular doctor appointments to monitor your angina.
Because of the discomfort and potential complications of angina, it is important to seek medical attention if you think you have it. Otherwise, your angina could lead to a stroke, debilitating pain, or a heart attack. While there is no cure for angina or coronary artery disease, proper treatment can help you live a long, normal life.