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Angina
: Understand that pain
It’s Monday morning, and you’re running
late for work. You grab your coat, your
phone...and suddenly grab your chest in
pain.
Am I having a heart attack?
✦
You
lean against the door for a few minutes,
wondering what to do. The pain goes away.
WHAT WAS THAT?
That may have been angina, a dis-
comforting signal that part of your heart muscle was
temporarily fighting for more blood and oxygen.
“Angina isn’t a heart attack,” notes Vahe Badalian,
MD, cardiologist at Glendale Adventist Medical Center.
“But it is a symptom of a heart problem that deserves
medical attention.”
There are two major types of angina: stable and
unstable.
Stable angina
is usually the result of gradual buildup
of plaque in a coronary artery. Over time the artery
narrows, restricting bloodflow to the heart. Pain occurswhen
the heart—pushed to work harder by physical activity or
emotional upset—can’t get the oxygen-rich blood it needs.
After a few episodes, people with this type of angina
can predict when it’s likely to occur. Stable angina doesn’t
harm the heart muscle. And, although the pain can be
disturbing, it’s usually manageable and typically not the
precursor to a heart attack.
Signs and symptoms of stable angina usually last
less than five minutes and go away with rest, after tak-
ing medicine or both. They can include:
●
Pressure or
tightness in the chest.
●
Pain in the chest, neck, throat,
jaw, shoulder and arm.
●
Shortness of breath.
●
Nausea,
anxiety or dizziness.
Unstable angina
has similar symptoms, but they
may be more severe. That’s because plaque has suddenly
ruptured, either partially or completely blocking blood
flow. Although unstable angina isn’t a heart attack, if
left untreated it can lead to one. This type of angina is a
medical emergency.
HOW IT’S TREATED
“The first goal in
treating unstable
angina is to prevent
a heart attack,” says
Dr. Badalian. “That
may require opening the blocked artery in a procedure
called coronary angioplasty.
“Otherwise, several medications can be used to treat
both stable and unstable angina. Nitroglycerin often can
relieve pain by increasing blood flow, and other drugs
can help lessen how hard the heart works.”
Your doctor will also want to treat the underlying heart
disease that’s causing the angina. That may mean taking
medications to prevent blood clots as well as drugs to
lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Sources: American Heart Association; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
AdventistHealth.org/Glendale
(818) 409-8000
Healthcare
at a Higher Level
Glendale Adventist Medical Center STEMI Receiving Center is proud to be ranked
Number 1 out of 34 hospitals in L.A. County for lowest door-to-balloon time! What this means
for a heart attack patient is that GAMC has the fastest treatment time from arrival at the
Emergency Department to transfer to Cardiac Catheterization to restore blood flow to the heart.
To learn more about GAMC, visit
AdventistHealth.org/Glendale
or call
(818) 409-8000
.
Glendale Adventist Medical Center
Fastest Heart Attack Care in L.A. County!
For a referral to a GAMC cardiologist, call (818) 409-8100.
Vahe Badalian, MD