Angina Pectoris Disease - Research Paper Example

? Angina Pectoris Angina Pectoris Introduction There are instances whereby the blood supply to the heart’s muscles becomes interrupted by various reasons. In effect, a person may experience pain in the chest that is normally associated with squeezing, chocking, heaviness, pressure, tightness, and suffocation. Usually, the discomfort usually spreads to the sub-sternum area (Siegenthaler 222). In line with this, it is important to point out that the attack by angina usually occurs when a person is undergoing stressful conditions with a rest playing an instrumental role in relieving the person of the pain. Hence, angina may occur due to incidents of fright, shock, anger, and any other activity that might interrupt the supply of blood to the heart (Siegenthaler 222). Statistics Angina is more common in men than it affects women, which is due to the size load of women's heart being less and smaller than that of men. In this case, men between the age of 35 and 60 years are the ones at risk of contracting this condition since they exercise less and took a rich diet (Sayeed 4). During an angina attack, the pain can abate after five minutes of rest although there are instances that the pain can spread from one second to hours. In this case, this pain is usually localized at one point in the left chest (Siegenthaler 223). On the other hand, more than an estimated 6.3 million Americans are said to have angina with 4.8% of this number dying five years following a diagnosis with the disease (Buckley et al. 1). Importantly, the statistics appear to be similar in the Western world with the disease being less prevalent in developing nations than it is prevalent in the developed world, which makes it the disease of the affluent. Pathophysiology (Causes) Angina pectoris results from an imbalance of the supply of oxygen, which is usually in short supply, and the demand for oxygen required by a heart. In line with this, there are two broad classes of the condition with each condition different in pathogenic mechanisms. In the first condition, classic angina, the ability of the coronary arteries to increase the blood flow is limited due to the narrowing of the atherosclerotic (Siegenthaler 223). The second condition is known as the variant angina. In this case, this condition of angina pectoris results to a primary reduction of the flow in coronary blood due to changes that are not related to the demand of blood in the heart (Siegenthaler 223). Importantly, other conditions that can cause angina pectoris include anxiety, fear, and failure by adults to exercise despite eating food that was rich in all nutrients. In line with this, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, and other factors put an individual at a risk of this health condition (Sayeed 4). Signs and Symptoms Discomfort in the chest remains the biggest sign and symptom for angina pectoris. In fact, most patients will complain of discomfort and not pain in the chest. The discomfort is characterized by experiences related to choking sensations, burning in the chest area, tightness of the chest, heaviness, and experiencing a pressure in the chest. Other than pain in the chest, a person may experience pains in the back, shoulders, the jaws may also experience pain, the neck area, and the upper central region of the abdomen are some of the areas that may experience pain. However, these areas experience referred pains due to the spinal levels that receive various sensations from the heart, skin, and other areas without discriminating and effectively cause the experiencing of pain in these areas. In most case, the referred pains are in the shoulder area, at the neck area and into the jaw, and at the inner part of the arm. Stress, of an emotional nature, has an effect of precipitating angina pectoris with a full stomach and cold temperatures worsening the situation. In addition, a person who is suffering from angina may experience pain with intense feelings of shortness in breathe accompanied by intense sweating and a nauseating feeling (Siegenthaler 224). Diagnosis Physical examination of angina pectoris is through a normal clinical approach. However, diagnosis depends on the history of the disease in a patient. In line with this, a clinician should look for some aggravating factors while diagnosing angina pectoris. Among these aggravating factors are anemia, thyrotoxicosis, aortic stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (Rajenderan 194). Other than these aggravating factors that might be present, it is important to examine for the presence of S4 and systolic murmur of mitral regurgitation (Rajenderan 194). Other than a physical examination, clinical tests are important in testing for angina pectoris. In this case, a clinical test may involve an ECG investigation with ECG being normal for most humans. However, periods of pain and depression result to changes in ECG with a test after exercising showing conditions that imply the presence of ECG in an individual. In this case, this test records ECG of an individual during, before, and after an exercise (Rajenderan 194). Importantly, this test is crucial in looking for markers of myocardial ischaemia and the response of the blood pressure in order to detect the presence of angina pectoris (Rajenderan 195). Treatment There are a number of approaches to treat angina pectoris, and they vary from using medicine to lifestyle changes. In addition, there are other procedures that can be used and they include a procedure on the coronary artery with stent replacement or carrying out a procedure known as coronary artery bypass (Dugdale, Chen, and Zieve). On the other hand, the doctor and the patient should develop a plan that aimed at treatment of angina pectoris. In this case, the plan should include the medicine to take to prevent angina, activities to engage in, medicine to take to treat angina, and the signs when angina is becoming worse (Dugdale, Chen, and Zieve). The clinician may also recommend some medicine for a patient in order to deal with some ailments. In line with this, the clinician may recommend the use of some drugs in order to treat some conditions. In this case, the doctor may prescribe ACE inhibitors that help in lowering the blood pressure in the heart and effectively protects the heart. On the other hand, beta-blockers are also crucial in lowering the heart rate and the use of oxygen by the heart. In addition, beta-blockers help to lower the blood pressure in a patient. The medical practitioner may also prescribe nitrates to a person so that they can help prevent angina in a person. In addition, calcium channel blockers are important in helping the body and the arteries relax, which consequently reduces the strain in the heart. On the other hand, calcium blockers help in lowering the blood pressure of a patient (Dugdale, Chen, and Zieve). Other patients need other forms of treatment to eliminate angina in their body. In line with this, most of them require surgical procedures in order to treat a blockage or a narrowing. On the other hand, other patients require procedures that aimed at opening narrowed or blocked vessels, which are essential in supplying blood to the heart. In this case, these two procedures are angioplasty, and a heart bypass respectively (Dugdale, Chen, and Zieve). Prognosis With the ACE inhibitors, a patient will be able to lower their blood pressure, which will effectively protect their hearts. On the other hand, using beta-blockers will be crucial in lowering the blood pressure of a patient. In effect, lowering the blood pressure will effectively help the patient control the heart rate. On the other hand, channel blockers will help the body of a patient relax after they took the medicine. In addition, the channel blockers will help a patient reduce the strain in their heart. On the other hand, the surgical procedures are expected to correct a narrowing or remove a blockage. In effect, these surgical procedures will help in establishing a normal supply of blood to the heart. Prevention It is important to avoid the risk factors that contribute to angina pectoris. These risk factors include conditions that caused anxiety, fear, and anger. On the other hand, establishing regular exercise regimes is crucial in preventing diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, which were major risk factors in angina pectoris (Sayeed 4). On the other hand, smokers should stop smoking in order to prevent the condition while a person can use nitrates to prevent any attack of angina pectoris (Alaeddini). Complications The disease does not have major complications on most patients. Nonetheless, older people about the age of sixty years were at a greater risk of developing complications when they suffered from this disease than the complications younger people would develop. In this case, older people can have prolonged attacks that can extend for hours. In effect, such complications can make them suffer from heart conditions and heart attacks. Conclusion Based on the foregoing, it is important for people to take any chest pains that they experienced seriously. In this case, it is evident that angina pectoris can be a fatal disease if people failed to prevent the disease from affecting others. Using various preventative measures such as avoiding risk factors such as smoking, anxiety, fear, and anger, an individual will be on the path towards avoiding this condition. Conversely, treatment of the disease involves using drugs that protect a patient’s heart from the effects of blood pressure with surgery also playing a crucial role clearing blockages and the narrowing of the coronary activities in order to ensure a balanced supply and demand of blood in the heart. Works Cited Alaeddini, Jamshid. Angina Pectoris. Medscape. 17 Sep. 2012. Web. 9 Dec. 2012. . Buckley, Brian S. et al. Five-year prognosis in patients with angina identified in primary care: incident cohort study. British Medical Journal 339 b3058, (2009): 1-8. Print. Dugdale, David S., Michael A. Chen, and David Zieve. Stable angina. Pubmed Health. 22 Jun. 2012. Web. 9 Dec. 2012. . Rajenderan, S. Clinical Diagnosis Cardiovascular System. 2nd ed. New Delhi, Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers Limited, 2004. Print. Sayeed, Ahmad. Angina Pectoris & Its Cure: Homoeopathy. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd, 2002. Print. Siegenthaler, Walter. Differential Diagnosis in Internal Medicine: From Symptom to Diagnosis. New York: Thieme, 2007. Print. Read More