Wednesday, 31 August 2011

Chest pain, angina-everything about this


Angina or Angina pectoris translated from Latin means chest pain. In angina chest discomfort is often caused by heavy exercise or tension that increases the oxygen needs of the heart.

What are the causes?

By far the most common cause of angina is arthrosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Other rare causes are damage to the valve outlet of ventricle and acute anemia or reduction of oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.

Arthrosclerosis of the coronary arteries is the silting up of the arteries for a period of time. It starts in the lining or intimate as small and flat yellow patches or streaks. These patches grow gradually, projecting into the arteries which ultimately cause serious interference with or even total obstruction of blood flow. Initially these streaks contain cholesterol, by the time that other substances appear as well.

When the silting up of the process is fairly advanced, arteries cannot accommodate the increased blood flow needed when exercising or doing any strenuous activity. The temporary lack of oxygen-rich blood causes the muscles of the heart to go on a cramp painful or uncomfortable. This is the pain of angina.

We feel as angina?

You may experience a feeling tight, oppression or pain in the center of the chest behind the breastbone. This sometimes spreads into the arms of one or both, neck or jaw, through the back (rarely in other directions) pain is constant or continuous while it lasts and never as sharp, stabbing or only a few seconds duration. You may feel like indigestion. The pain typically occurs only on an effort-like walking. You will probably find that the pain occurs whenever you walk a certain distance, or a particular
Speed. It was lifted from the stoop or even slow down, and when you start walking again may be able to walk a good deal further than before. This improved the ability to walk after arrest is very common and is called ' second wind ' angina. Some things may worsen angina, like walking in cold weather, wind, or after a heavy meal. Emotional upset or tension or arousal could bring pain. Further damage to arteries may cause an infringement of the myocardium, or heart attack.

What the doctor should be looking for?

Once it was confirmed that will be completely examined angina before treatment to reveal the condition of the heart muscle and valves, if there is evidence of fatigue in the arteries elsewhere in the body and if important existing risk factors like high blood pressure and obesity.

An EKG will reveal that the presence of any cardiac muscle and an exercise or TMT will confirm the diagnosis of angina and knowing the severity of arthrosclerosis. Other factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and decreased thyroid function should be carefully examined. Contribute to an x-ray of the coronary arteries.

Treatment of Angina

1) the most crucial is control risk factor regular exercise, return to a normal life, weight control and smoking cessation symptoms often improve. Lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure helps too.

2) drugs have to play a role in treatment to relieve pain, increase your ability to exercise, or for the treatment of risk factors such as hypertension or high cholesterol and arthrosclerosis

3) By pass surgery:-coronary surgery aims to circumvent obstructions in the coronary arteries using strips of their leg veins or patients by grafting of internal mammary artery branches. Surgery is not recommended unless all other forms of treatment have been tried as a treatment and lifestyle changes is much more effective surgery, leaving as a last option.







Thursday, 18 August 2011

Chest pain-Angina, heart attack or is Not serious?


Almost all suffer from a sort of physiological chest pain at one time or another, and the important thing to note is that there are many causes of this condition.

Chest pain can be defined as a pain or discomfort that occurs at any point along the front edge of the bust between the upper abdomen and the underside of the neck. This is a painful condition due to the immediate suspicion in the minds of the sick who are, or are about to undergo a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

We recommend that you consult a doctor if any of the following symptoms are experienced:

Sudden crushing, squeezing, tightening or pressure in the chest
Pain radiating to the jaw and left arm, or between the shoulder blades
Nausea, dizziness, sweating, a racing heart, or breathlessness
Existing condition of Angina, which is suddenly intensified due to lighter tasks, lasts longer than usual, or occurs while rest
Sudden acute chest pain with shortness of breath, especially after a long journey, a stretch of bed rest (e.g., following an operation), or other lack of movement that can lead to a blood clot in the leg. As mentioned previously, physiological sources of chest pain can be many and varied and include the following;
Heart
Lungs
The Esophagus
Muscles
Ribs
Tendons
Nerves

However, most people who suffer from chest pain tends to focus on the big question in their minds-that there are only two different classifications-those that relate to the heart (cardiac) and those who do not (non-cardiac).

Cardiac causes of chest pain

Heart attack

This is caused by a blood clot that prevents the usual flow of blood flow to the heart muscle. This can cause a feeling of pressure, fullness or crushing chest pain, lasting more than a few minutes. The pain may radiate to other areas, such as the back, neck, jaw, shoulders and arms, especially the left arm. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness and nausea. All, some or none of these can accompany your chest pain.

Angina

Fat deposits can accumulate in the arteries that carry blood to the heart. This can reduce their width, and this in turn can lead to a restriction of blood flow to the heart, which is usually more obvious after physical activity or effort. This kind of restricted blood flow to the heart can cause regular, recurrent episodes of chest pain, which is defined as Angina Pectoris, or Angina, it is often described as a pressure or tightness in the chest. It is usually caused by emotional or physical stress. The pain usually goes away within a few minutes after stressful activity stopped.

Other causes cardiac

There are some other complex medical problems, which can cause chest pain.

Pericarditis-inflammation of the SAC that surrounds your heart a short-term condition often related to a viral infection. Acute pericarditis causing chest pain, penetrating and centralized. You can also have a fever and feel bad.

Aortic dissection-a rare life threatening chest pain, where separate inner layers of the main artery leading from the heart (aorta). This causes the blood to flow between them, causing a sudden pain tearing of chest and back. Is usually caused by physical trauma to the chest cavity, but can also result from uncontrolled hypertension.

Coronary spasm, also known as Prinzmetal's angina may cause varying degrees of chest discomfort. Coronary spasm In coronary arteries, the arteries-which provide blood to the heart go into spasm, temporarily shutting down the flow of blood to the heart.

Non-cardiac causes

There are many conditions that are unrelated to the heart, which can be the cause of chest pain. These include:

Asthma
Pneumonia
Anxiety
Rapid breathing
Heartburn
Pleurisy
Rib or muscle injuries
Collapsed lung
Swallowing disorders

How to reduce your heart related problems with Ziac

Ziac is a type of medicine known as a beta-blocker. Beta blocker drugs typically are used to treat chest pain (angina) and arterial hypertension. They can also help patients who have suffered a severe heart attack and have proven to improve survival rates if taken for this condition. A program of reduction of high blood pressure can reduce the chances of patients developing kidney problems, more heart attacks and strokes.







Tuesday, 9 August 2011

Chest pain-this is a heart attack?


Not all pain in and around your chest are an indication that you're headed for a heart attack. Although it is always best to consult a doctor when there is any type of chest pain, you should be aware that there are many other types of chest pain.

Heart related pain

1. Aortic dissection-this feels like a throbbing pain that suddenly explodes inside. Spreads rapidly towards the middle of the back-just between the shoulder blades.

2. Pericarditis-this pain occurs due to inflammation of the membrane that covers the heart-the pericardium. This is very different from the pain of angina-is very pronounced and edgy. Gets worse with every breath that you take and becomes unbearable when you lie down. There is a slight relief only when bending forward.

3. Myocarditis-this pain is very similar to pericaridatis; It is caused by inflammation of the muscles of the heart.

Lung-related pain

4. Pneumonia-this is a disease that causes acute chest pain. However, this would be associated with fever, cough, Dyspnea and accumulation of phlegm.

5. Pleurisy-this is an inflammation of the pleura or the membrane that covers the lungs. As pericarditis, this pain too is accentuated by breathing.

6. Pneumothorax-this is when the lung collapses due to the accumulation of air around it. The pain is severe, sudden and gets compounded by taking breaths. The pain is associated with a feeling of suffocation, as the lungs cannot expand and get some air.

7. Pulmonary Hypertension-in simple words, it comes to hypertension in blood vessels that irrigate the lungs. Feels a tremendous pressure in the thoracic region that gets exacerbated by physical exertion and deep breaths.

Gastro-esophageal pain related

8. Reflux pain-this is one of the most common of the pains associated with indigestion and acidity. Pain, accompanied by a burning sensation, usually begins under the sternum with acid regurgitation. This pain is relieved by antacids.

9. Spasm of the esophagus – this is a rare condition; the reason why it happens is still not clear. There would be a sudden spasm esophageal muscle, which generates swift stabbing pain just below the sternum. This pain is made worse by swallowing and raised by swallowing nitroglycerine.

10. a tear in the esophagus-this usually happens after heavy bouts of vomiting and is a common occurrence with alcoholics. It is exacerbated by swallowing. Boerhaave syndrome is the most acute manifestation of rupture of the esophagus that pain is very severe.

Other types of pain

11. muscle spasms-this pain is caused by twitching back or chest or distortions that normally follow some serious physical effort. The pain is usually localized and sensitive to the touch.

12. anxiety and stress-anxiety and stress can cause sudden tightness of chest, which is very similar to angina. Also would you feel dizzy and breathless in this situation.

There are many other types of chest pain that are not described here. As mentioned before, don't have to wait for self-diagnose what kind of pain that can live. The best (and safest) is to go to your nearest medical facility for an immediate control.