Word For Health

Angina itself is not a disease, but one of the many symptoms of heart disease. Angina causes pain or discomfort in the chest resulting from the heart being deprived of oxygen. While the heart muscle will struggle when angina is present it will continue to pump at around 100,000 contractions per day. Nevertheless, if the angina cause or causes, along with more frequent symptoms continue to worsen, it will set the stage for a heart attack.

Different people experience angina in a number of different ways. While this may the case with each given individual the pattern is usually consistent. The pain is usually characterized as dull rather than sharp, and is most often felt over a wide area of the chest rather than a specific spot. If a person suffering with angina (angina pectoris) was asked to point to the area where the pain is resonating from they would likely place their whole hand or a clenched fist on the chest rather than pointing to a specific spot.

Angina in its early stages is often mistaken for indigestion, and mistakenly treated with over the counter medications. These only add to the confusion since angina attacks tend to come in go rapidly, leading the person to believe that the over the counter acid indigestion product has solved their problem.

The discomfort associated with angina is often felt under the breastbone (sternum) but may radiate out into the neck, arms, shoulders, and back with the left side experiencing most of the discomfort. Sometimes discomfort is only is felt in the jaw and arm. Angina can include other heart disease related symptoms as well such as shortness of breath, dizziness, stomach upset, and sweating.

Angina causes can vary greatly from person to person but without a doubt the most common cause is hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis occurs when cholesterol laden obstructions known as arterial plaque form in the arteries surrounding the heart, basically reducing blood flow to the heart. Brief episodes of angina do not damage the heart but an ever increasing frequency of symptoms may be a ominous sign signaling the possibility that a heart attack is likely to occur.

Risk factors for angina include cigarette smoking, frequent exposure to second hand smoke, high blood pressure, diabetes, male gender, inactivity, being 30 percent or more overweight, a family history of heart disease before age 55, and high cholesterol.

In summary, angina causes are broad ranging, and as you can see include quiet a list of dangerous villains. One of these villains is high cholesterol, which many consider to be the primary driver for heart disease. High cholesterol as well as other angina risk factors can often times be managed effectively by working with your doctor to implement a heart healthy lifestyle. If diet and exercise alone are not enough a prescription medications or natural cholesterol reduction supplement could be additional options worth considering.