Treat Angina
When blood flow to the heart is restricted due to a build up of plaque on the wall of the blood vessel, chest pain results. The name for this type of pain is angina and it is a symptom of potentially serious conditions, such as coronary artery disease.
Instructions
Treat Angina With Medications
1. Know that the first treatment a doctor will use to treat angina in most cases is prescription medication. Drugs are typically the safest and most common angina treatment, as well as the least expensive.
2. Learn the phrase "coronary vasodilator." This is the technical name for any number of drugs that relax blood vessels. By relaxing blood vessels, more oxygen can be absorbed into the heart, which makes these drugs particularly beneficial in treating angina.
3. Take nitroglycerin. This is the number one coronary vasodilator prescribed to treat angina.
4. Treat angina with beta blockers when coronary vasodilators do not succeed. Beta blockers are prescription drugs used to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure. When the heart slows it does not work as hard and therefore needs less oxygen.
Treat Angina With Surgery
5. Become familiar with the types of angioplasty. Angioplasty is the most common surgical treatment for coronary artery disease. Since angina is caused by a build up of plaque in the artery that restricts blood flow, the first step is to increase blood flow by opening up the blocked vessel. A balloon is inserted into the blocked vessel where it is inflated to open blood flow. When the balloon is deflated and removed, a "stent" can be left behind to keep the artery open.
6. Ask your doctor about other common surgical treatments for angina. A second type of angioplasty may be performed where a laser is used to remove the plague build up. An atherectomy procedure uses a micro-cutting tool to actually shave the blockage down or drill it to where it can be removed.
7. Consider a coronary bypass surgery. In this type of procedure, the blockage is bypassed, thus allowing blood to flow to the heart unobstructed. This may involve taking a blood vessel from another part of the body, most likely from the leg, and using it to create an alternate pathway to the heart.
8. Visit the American Heart Association website for more information on surgical and non-surgical angina treatments (see Resources below).
Tags: blood flow, artery disease, blocked vessel, blood flow heart, blood vessel, blood vessels, build plaque