mens health > heart > angina

Angina

Angina is something you do not screw with. The name may sound slightly funny to most guys (because it sounds faintly like something else men typically do want to screw around with) but it literally means pain.

What kind of pain are we talking about here? Well angina causes pain in your chest. It can be anything from a slight pain or discomfort in your chest to a squeezing pain in the center of your chest. This discomfort may also stretch from your chest and affect your arm, neck, lower jaw, shoulder, back and arms. Sometimes people mistake angina for acid reflux, or heartburn.

Angina usually happens when your heart needs more blood and oxygen than it is currently receiving. Angina generally affects people who are older, but it can happen to people that are young as well. If you suffer from angina, it means that you are at an increased risk of having a heart attack, and that is never a happy scenario.

Who Can Get it?

There are several reasons why someone might develop angina. One of the biggest reasons that people find themselves battling angina is high blood pressure. If one or more of the arteries, which supply the heart with blood are blocked or become narrowed then you are sure to develop angina.

You can also get angina from valvular heart disease and from having an enlarged heart. These cases are much rarer, but they can happen.

Most people first feel the effects of angina while doing some type of strenuous exercise. Perhaps at work while they are lifting something heavy or if they run to catch up to someone they saw in the street. Angina can also be caused if someone is under a lot of mental or emotional stress. In either case, it takes them by surprise, and they should see their physician as soon as humanly possible. In these cases, angina is usually treated with nitro-glycerine and lots of rest.

Unstable Angina

You can also develop unstable angina. This type of angina is slightly different from the above examples because it will strike a person while they are at rest. You could be lying there on your couch, enjoying a bag of your favourite chips while enjoying the football game and WHAM, you have chest pain. This type of angina can be very frightening but should never be dismissed. If you experience chest pain, consult your doctor.

Unstable angina is also caused by a blockage or constricting of the arteries, which supply the heart muscle with blood. It could be that you have fat deposits (high cholesterol levels)or a blood clot narrowing the arteries or you could have inflammation or an infection.

Whatever the cause ... angina pain should not be ignored.

Any type of squeezing, pressure or pain that develops in your chest should be reported to your doctor immediately. If you do have angina, you are more likely to suffer from either a mild heart attack or even one that kills you almost instantly.

Save yourself and your family, a lot of heart aches. Angina should be taken very seriously. If you are not sure, it is angina that is causing your chest pains (maybe you think it is just heartburn or something else minor) don’t take a chance. Just bite the bullet and see the doctor.

Sam Fields