ANGINA PECTORIS (CHEST PAIN)

Angina pectoris is the medical term for discomfort of the chest or simply called chest pain. It occurs when the heart muscle doesn't get as much blood as it needs. This usually happens because one or more of the heart's arteries is narrowed or blocked.

Angina usually causes uncomfortable pressure, fullness, heaviness, tightness burning ,choking, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest, these occur when there is a decreased blood oxygen supply to an area of the heart muscle, in most cases the lack of supply is due to a narrowing of the coronary arteries (the vessels that supply blood to the heart) as a result of arteriosclerosis, you may also feel the discomfort in your neck, jaw, shoulder, back or arm.

Angina is usually triggered by emotional stress, heavy metals, extreme temperatures, alcohol, cigarette smoking, physical exertion or after heavy meal, all of these increase the heart demand for more  oxygenated rich blood than the narrowed coronary arteries can deliver

Symptoms:
Pressure                Heaviness
Tightness              Squeezing
Weakness              Sweating
Anxiety                   Nausea
Cramping               Choking sensation
Indigestion             Heartburn
Dizziness                Aching across the chest
Shortness of breathe

Types of Angina

1. Stable angina: People with stable angina have symptoms on a regular basis and the symptoms are predictable e.g walking up a staircase causes chest pain for most people, the symptoms occur during exertion and last less than five minutes, they are usually relieved by rest

2. Unstable Angina: This is a precursor to heart attack, it is due to spasm and obstruction of coronary arteries, it warrant an immediate attention

Caution
Modification of lifestyle and diet are very essential in severe cases of angina
* Avoid smoking
*Avoid over exertion
* Avoid emotional stress
* Avoid cold weather, water and food
* Avoid exposure to smoke and car fumes
* Eat healthy diet
* Refrain from eating large meals
* Work on shedding excess weight

Treatment
* Take your blood pressure regularly and keep the record (regular checkup)

Herbs and supplements
* Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
* Take fresh garlic or garlic supplement
* Ginger, onion and beetroots are good
* Drink about 10 cups of water daily
* Take fish oil (omega 3 fatty acid)
* Parsley and Celery leaf
* Lemon and grapes etc.

Acupuncture
* This is the best form of treatment for all types of coronary heart diseases

The above diagram shows the referrer site for angina pain, the pain area should be scrutinized for further investigation for it could mimic other health problems
Please consult your health care provider if need be