Health Blurbs

Angina treatment with lifestyle changes and nitroglycerin may be all that is needed if your symptoms are mild and stabilized. The main goals of treatment are to reduce associated discomfort and the number of occurrences. And to lower your risk of death by your underlying heart condition.

You can help prevent or reduce your episodes of angina by making lifestyle changes, starting with:

• adopt a healthy diet
• avoid stressful situations
• reduce high blood pressure
• reduce high blood cholesterol
• avoid consuming large, rich meals
• slowing down and take rest breaks
• reduce weight if you’re overweight or obese

Following a heart healthy eating plan that focuses on:

• fruits
• vegetables
• whole grains
• lean meat and fish
• low/no fat diary products
• low in salt, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol

Other important lifestyle adjustment include:

• quit smoking
• get physically active
• take all prescribed medicines, especially if you’re a diabetic

Nitroglycerin is the most commonly used nitrate for angina. Nitrates relax and widen blood vessels, allowing more blood to your heart with a reduction in its workload.

Nitroglycerin that dissolves under your tongue or between your cheeks and gum is used to relieve an angina episode. Nitroglycerin in the form of pills and skin patches is used to prevent attacks of angina.

Your angina treatment may also include beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, oral antiplatelet and anticoagulants, which help:

• slow the heart rate
• relax blood vessels
• reduce strain on the heart
• prevent blood clots from forming
• lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels

When lifestyle changes and medicines aren’t enough to control your angina, you may require more drastic measures to treat an underlying heart disease, such as angioplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting or cardiac rehab.

Other Heart and Breath Health Blurbs:

• Heart Attack: The Signs Every Body Needs to Know
• Dyspnea Cause for Breathlessness, Short of Breath or Out of Breath
• What is Angina Cause for Symptoms of Chest Pain and Shortness of Breath
• Atherosclerosis Disease Causes Angina, Numbness Symptoms for Circulatory System Treatment
• Congestive Heart Failure Causes Edema, Fatigue and Shortness of Breath Symptoms for Treatment