Angina & Chest Pain
Angina in Houston, TX
For anyone who’s experienced chest pain, we know this situation can be frightening. Chest pain is considered an emergency, but you may be surprised to discover that you’re not having a heart attack. Instead, you could be dealing with angina, a condition that results in chest pain due to restricted blood flow to the heart. If you are dealing with angina, our Houston, TX, board-certified cardiologist Dr. Swati Gupta and the team at SKG Heart Center are here to provide you with the quality cardiology care you deserve.
What is Angina?
Angina is not a heart condition but rather a symptom of an underlying issue within the heart. Often, this is a sign of coronary heart disease. There are different kinds of angina:
Stable angina: the most common type of angina that has a very obvious pattern, so you’re more likely to know how often it will occur and what will trigger an episode
Unstable angina: This type of angina doesn’t have an obvious or “stable” pattern, so it may occur more often and symptoms may be more severe
Variant angina: This type of angina often occurs at rest and is the result of a coronary artery spasm, which may produce more severe chest pain
Microvascular angina: this type of angina occurs when there are spasms of the arteries of the heart that restrict blood flow
Who is at Risk for Angina?
As with any health problem, certain risk factors can increase your chances of developing angina. Some of these risk factors include:
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Being overweight or obese
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Poor diet
- Smoking
- Family history of heart disease
- Over 45 years old
While certain risk factors such as age and family history can’t be altered, there are several steps you can take toward leading a healthier life that can reduce your risk for angina.
How is Angina Treated?
There are several strategies that our cardiology team will recommend for managing angina. Common treatment options for angina include:
Lifestyle changes: this includes everything from quitting smoking and getting more regular exercise to eating healthier and losing excess weight
Medications: the most common medication for treating angina are nitrates, as they open up the blood vessels to allow more blood to flow to the heart (other medications include aspirin, beta-blockers, statins, and blood pressure medication)
Procedures and surgeries: while lifestyle changes and medications can go a long way to managing angina, sometimes our cardiology team may recommend angioplasty, stenting, or a coronary artery bypass to treat angina