What is Angina? -- Causes and Cures Related Links Ideal Breakfast for Heart Health Conditions My Heart Attack-- Personal Stories Foods That Can Lower Your Blood Pressure Top 10 Natural Remedies to Unclog Your Arteries What Should Your Blood Pressure Be At Different Ages? Herbs and Spices That Reduce Blood Pressure Daily Habits to Reduce Anxiety Avocado-Top 10 Health Benefits By Susan Callahan, Health Editor and Featured Columnist January 3, 2009, last updated November 17, 2013 [Health and fitness articles are reviewed by our team of Doctors and Registered Nurses, Certified fitness trainers and other members of our Editorial Board.] What is angina and how does it differ from a heart attack? Angina pectoris is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when an area of your heart muscle does not get enough oxygen from your blood. The majority of people who eventually have a heart attack or heart disease experience angina first. Angina affects approximately 9.6 million Americans, according to a 2011 study lead by DR. Andrew Gardner of the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center. Angina may feel like pressure or squeezing in your chest. The pain can also occur in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. If you experience angina, it may feel like indigestion. This is one of the dangers of angina. It can seem so much like indigestion that many people take antacids, the pain may subside, they forgot about and go back to sleep. Some later find that they have had heart attacks. Or they may not wake up at all. Angina itself is not a disease. Rather, it is a symptom of an underlying heart problem. Usually that underlying problem is coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common type of heart disease. Two Different Types of Angina There are various types of angina. Stable angina is characterized by a pain which occurs when you engage in certain activities. You may mistake it for a pulled muscle or an anxiety attack. Because it may seem to come and go, stable angina is often mistakenly ignored until it becomes more serious. The second type of angina is "unstable" or "variant" angina. This type of angina feels more severe and spasmodic. Left untreated, the pain intensifies over time. The pain seizes you suddenly and gets worse. Update: Vitamin D Can Help Increase Survival for Angina Patients If you have unstable angina and you suffer a heart attack, Vitamin D can increase your chances of survival. According to 2012 study by doctors from the Medical School of Bahia in Salvador, Brazil, patients whose Vitamin D levels were below normal (defined as having less than 10 ng/dl) were more than 5 times more likely to die than those with normal Vitamin D levels. The study examined 206 patients admitted to the hospital with unstable anigina. After being treated for their coronary problems, only 4.9% of the patients with normal Vitamin D levels died. In other words, they had a survival rate of 95.1%. However, an astounding 24% of those with deficient Vitamin D levels died. (Read more about how to increase your Vitamin D levels.) What To Do If you Have Angina Pectoris 1. See a Doctor 2. Follow a good heart-healthy diet and exercise plan 3. Watch your sugar intake especially. Sugar has a powerful connection to disease. 4. Avoid the disease of isolation. If angina leads to a heart attack, a good social network could help keep you alive in an emergency. Related: My Heart Attack --Index of Personal Stories of Survivors /Healing Foods / Foods That Lower Your Blood Pressure Night Cramps--Why Your Legs Sieze Up At Night Snoring Increases Stroke Risk 67% What Causes Snoring Can't Sleep-Here's Help Heavy Snoring Linked to Alzheimer's Risk Child Snoring Different from Adults-Possibly An Allergic Type Disease Snorers Cost Spouses 2 Years of Lost Sleep UCLA Center for Sleep Research Lose 10lbs -A Simple Plan for The Rest of Us Why Your Dog Snores My Heart Attack Adrenal Fatigue-Why You Wake Up Tired Register-- it's free, fast and easy. Members receive a newsletter with upcoming articles. Are you a heart attack survivor? Help others by sharing your story: Send it to pages@collectivewizdom.com |
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