What Is Angina?

To better get a grasp of what angina is, you must understand how the heart works. Our coronary arteries supply our hearts with oxygen rich blood. Too much cholesterol will aggregate the artery wall and will form hard plaques, resulting in the narrowing of the arteries. With narrow arteries, it will be significantly difficult for the oxygen rich blood to reach your heart muscles. Also, any other damage to your arteries brought about by high levels of sugar and fat in your blood plus smoking will cause the building up of more plaque. Plaque will narrow the arteries and may even breakdown and form clots which further block the arteries.

Angina attacks occur when the oxygen supply to the heart is reduced. This is why exertion is a usual trigger for it. The heart will demand more oxygen than what it can receive. Any emotional stress, eating a heavy meal, being exposed to extreme temperatures may cause angina attacks.

Angina Symptoms

Angina manifests itself through angina attacks, which involves discomfort and pain in the chest area. These attacks can last between one and 15 minutes. Specific symptoms of angina attacks include the feeling of heaviness, tightening, squeezing, intense pressure, and aching pain across the chest or behind the breastbone. The pain felt will often radiate to the jaw neck, back, arms, and teeth.

Types of Angina

There are different types of angina, so the answer to what is Angina also depends on understanding the specific type in question. Angina is classified through its pattern of attacks into stable, unstable, and variant angina:

Stable angina is caused by exertion. It takes places when the blood vessels which are responsible for supplying blood to your heart become narrowed, limiting blood supply. Pain typically lasts for just a few minutes and is usually relieved when you rest. The discomfort and pain may reoccur when you exert yourself once again.
Unstable angina refers to pain that comes as a result of little effort, sometimes when you are just walking a few steps or while you are resting. This takes place when one of your blood vessels becomes so narrowed that you become at risk for having a heart attack.
Variant angina is a rare type and occurs without any symptoms. It is caused by spasm of a coronary artery. During this type of attack, your heart may have irregularities in its normal rhythm.

Causes of Angina

Understanding what is angina also depends on understanding the causes. Coronary heart disease is the main cause of angina and more men suffer from it than women.

The risk of suffering from coronary heart disease increases as you get older. You may be more prone to developing the disease if you have hypertension or high blood pressure, have diabetes, have high blood cholesterol levels, have diabetes, are a smoker and/or if you have a sedentary lifestyle. Angina can also be a hereditary so if a close relative has already suffered from angina, your likelihood of having it increases.

Causes of Unstable Angina

The main cause of unstable angina is blood clots that block the arteries. The larger they are, the higher the risk of the clots leading into a heart attack. Each time a blood clot forms, dissolves, and forms again, angina may take place. On the other hand, variant angina can be triggered by stress, exposure to cold temperatures, smoking, medications, and the use of cocaine.

Treatments for Angina

Treatments for angina aim to prevent its symptoms, reduce its pain, and prevent heart attacks. Lifestyle changes and medications are usually recommended as well, depending on the angina type and symptoms shown by the patient. Recommended lifestyle changes include quitting smoking, managing weight, stress management, resting, checking cholesterol levels, and eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Medications for angina treatment include nitrates, which are the most prescribed type of medicine for the condition. Nitrates work to reduce and prevent the intensity of the angina attacks by promoting the relaxation and widening of the blood vessels.