Patients with angina, a condition in which blood vessels are blocked such that the heart finds it difficult to pump oxygen, are known to suffer from acute chest pain, high blood pressure and sometimes even fever. While stable angina with its regular patterns of heart abnormalities and variant angina with its severe chest pain early in the morning, can be treated mainly with medicine, unstable angina with no pattern, is the most risky and requires emergency hospitalization.
Medication
One of the most important relief inducing factors for any of the three kinds of angina are anticoagulants that make blood clotting factors inactive. Heparin drugs such as dalteparin, enoxaparin and nadroparin fall into this category. Regular tests need to be conducted to scrutinize the blood heparin level. Intravenous injections of anti-platelet clotting agents like glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, will help dissolve already present congealed blood and prevent development of newer clots.
Among other drugs used, the most important are aspirin and its stronger substitute of clopedigrol, both of which help reduce stickiness in blood platelets, which can otherwise increase the chance of blood clots. Nitrates or nitroglycerin are preventive medicine compounds which help to increase the heart's blood flow, especially in regions where there is a deficit, in anticipation of any kind of stress. This is helpful both in providing angina relief and also for prevention of the same in future. However, nitrates are usually recommended only when administered along with beta blockers, which lower the heart beat rate and make the spasms of the heart chambers weaker. This, in turn, brings down the pressure of the heart and its oxygen requirement. Also recommended for angina relief are calcium channel blockers, which open up veins and arteries in the heart, increasing blood movement. This means that the heart can pump more blood, more freely, while being less stressed.
Stable Angina
Patients with stable angina are also being prescribed a considerably new therapy called enhanced external counterpulsation. In this treatment method, blood vessels of the lower limbs are pressed and released to create a heart pulsation due to alternate flow of extra blood and complete relaxation. In the process of compression and slackening, blood vessels might end up opening new channels, which start functioning as a natural bypass. This provides relief from angina symptoms and reduces the patient's medication requirement. A life quality improvement is usually felt as well.
Unsteady Angina
Instant treatment at the hospital will tackle the patient's fever and hypertension problems with medication, with which the condition can be usually made stable within two days. While blood tests and electrocardiograms need to be carried out to discount a heart attack possibility, heart functions need to be observed constantly for arrhythmia detection. Heparin, through the veins, and aspirin may be administered as well. Variable angina is dealt with nitroglycerin, administered both intravenously and sublingually (under the tongue), and the calcium channel blocker, nifedipine.
Lifestyle Changes
Going on a low fat and low cholesterol diet, regular exercise and refraining from smoking can bring down the chances of angina occurrence. Reduction of blood pressure, blood sugar and body weight usually go a long way in providing relief from angina.
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