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VITALITY
Winter 2016
COMMUNITY
A lot of things
can cause chest
pain—acid reflux, an infection and
inflammation, to name just a few. But
of all the possible causes, chest pain
linked to underlying heart disease can
be especially dangerous.
That type of pain, called angina,
happens when part of the heart muscle
fails to get the oxygen-rich blood
that it needs.
According to the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute, angina is
usually a symptom of coronary heart
disease (CHD).
CHD occurs when the inner walls
of arteries that nourish the heart
muscle become narrowed or blocked
by a fatty material known as plaque.
This can cause angina and sometimes
a heart attack.
WARNING SIGNS
Typically, people with angina feel
pain or an uncomfortable pressure,
fullness or squeezing sensation in the
center of the chest. They may also
have discomfort in the neck, jaw,
shoulder, back or arm.
Other signs and symptoms may
include shortness of breath, nausea,
fatigue, sweating, or numbness
or tingling in the shoulders,
arms or wrists.
The most common type of angina
is called stable angina. It happens
when the heart muscle is working
harder than usual, like during physical
exertion or emotional stress.
People with stable angina frequently
learn to recognize its pattern and can
predict when their pain will occur. The
pain usually lasts five minutes or less
and is relieved by rest or medication.
EASINGTHE PAIN
Angina can be treated with lifestyle
changes, medicine or medical
procedures.
Daily changes may include eating a
healthier diet, losing weight, quitting
smoking and exercising.
Medicine, such as nitroglycerin,
may be needed to stop or prevent an
episode of angina. Other drugs can
lower blood pressure, slow the heart
rate and relax blood vessels.
Medical procedures, such as
angioplasty and coronary artery
bypass grafting (CABG), can treat
the underlying heart disease that
causes angina.
With angioplasty, a thin tube
with a balloon attached to its end is
inserted into a blood vessel—usually
in the groin—and advanced to the
narrowed heart artery. The balloon
is then inflated to open the blocked
blood vessel. A mesh tube called a
stent may also be left in the artery
to hold it open.
CABG uses healthy blood vessels
taken from another part of the body
to bypass blocked heart arteries and
improve blood flow to the heart.
GET HELP
If you have symptoms of angina, see
your doctor right away. You don’t have
to live with the pain.
To learn more about angina, go to
www.morehealth.org/angina.
The
pain
of
What to know about this common heart condition
Trust your heart with us.
Call the CMH Heart
Institute Clinic at
417-328-6040
for an
appointment with one of
our cardiologists.
HEART HEALTH