Angina: spasmodic, choking, or suffocation
pain. The episodic pain of angina occurs when the supply of oxygen
to the heart can’t meet the heart’s needs.
Physical or emotional stress activates the sympathetic nervous system,
causing vasoconstriction and increased heart rate, contractility, and blood
pressure. These heighten the hearts oxygen needs.
Angina may occur during stress, exertion (pain will be relieved by rest),
or dreaming, or after a heavy meal or exposure to cold.
Symptom:
Increase heart rate
Increase blood pressure
Retrosternal or substernal pain that’s described as a feeling of tightness,
pressure, heaviness, squeezing, or burning.
Pain that radiates to the lower jaw, neck, shoulder, arm, or hand, usually
on the left side. This pain is generally felt with the retrosternal
or substernal pain.
Dyspnea
Diaphoresis
GI distress
Pulmonary congestion
Increase need to void
Bradycardia or tachycardia
Pallor
Treatment:
Nitroglycerin: IV or Sublingual
Chest pain should be reported to your doctor immediately
Angina
Angina: is usually described as chest pain, and is referred to as
angina pectoris. The cause of this pain is the heart not getting
enough oxygen. To understand how this works, we need to take a brief
and over simplified look at the lungs, blood, and the cells of the body. First, the lungs function is to take oxygen from
the air we breath and put it into the blood. The blood then carries
the oxygen to all the cells in our bodies. The cells then use the
oxygen to produce energy to complete their various tasks. The pain or discomfort is usually of short duration, lasting
3 to 5 minutes. The pain goes away when the heart starts getting
enough oxygen again. The effects of a temporary reduction of oxygen
is reversible, that is, the cells are not permanently damaged.
Symptoms- the most common is discomfort of the chest, ranging
from a feeling of pressure to moderate pain. It is sometimes mistaken for
indigestion. Other common sites are, the lower jaw and the left shoulder
and arm. A person may describe the discomfort with a clenched fist. White or pale skin, sweating,
and difficulty breathing are frequently seen with this disease.
Types:
Stable angina is brought on by increased demands but on the heart.
Physical exertion brings it on. An individual generally knows what
activity level will cause the discomfort.
Unstable angina cannot be predicted, it may happen while a person
is at rest. Unstable angina usually indicates a more advanced disease
than stable angina. The arteries carrying blood are no longer able
handle enough blood for the heart even at rest. This is sometimes
caused by the arteries of the heart going into spasm. This is most
frequently a result of Atherosclerosis.
Treatment- Nitrates are usually the first line of defense.
They cause the blood vessels to expand and this in turn decreases demand
on the heart. It is easier for the heart to push blood through the
expanded vessels. Other medications are often used to decrease blood pressure, decrease heart rate and contractility,
and decrease blood volume in the left ventricular chamber of the heart.