What is unstable angina?
Angina Angina Angina is pain, discomfort, or pressure in your chest that happens when your heart isn't getting enough oxygen. The lack of oxygen is caused by a narrow or blocked artery to your heart (coronary... read more 
is pain, discomfort, or pressure in your chest that happens when your heart isn't getting enough oxygen. The lack of oxygen is caused by a narrow or blocked artery to your heart (coronary artery disease Overview of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) The heart is a muscle that pumps blood. Like all muscles, the heart needs a steady supply of blood to work. Blood that pumps through the heart doesn't feed the heart muscle. Instead the heart... read more 
). Angina usually comes when you exert yourself, for example, by climbing stairs or walking up a hill. It goes away in a few minutes when you rest. You usually get angina each time you do the same amount of exertion.
Unstable angina is when your angina comes:
With much less exertion than normal
When you aren't exerting yourself at all
With unstable angina:
You have chest pain or pressure
Doctors do blood tests and ECG/EKG
Doctors will give you medicine and do procedures to try to get more blood to the affected area of your heart
What causes unstable angina?
The heart is a muscle that pumps blood. Like all muscles, the heart needs a steady supply of blood to work. Blood that pumps through the heart doesn't feed the heart muscle. Instead, the heart muscle is fed by its own arteries. These arteries are called coronary arteries. Coronary is a word for heart.
Unstable angina happens when one of your coronary arteries is temporarily blocked by a blood clot.
If the blood clot goes away on its own, your symptoms go away. If the blood clot doesn't go away quickly, you will have a heart attack Heart Attack A heart attack is when blood flow to part of your heart is suddenly blocked and some of your heart muscle dies. Doctors use the term myocardial infarction to refer to a heart attack. Myocardium... read more 
. In a heart attack, the affected heart muscle dies because it doesn't get enough blood. In unstable angina, the affected muscle doesn't die. However, unstable angina is a warning sign of a heart attack.
Blood clots in a coronary artery usually happen when you have atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis read more :
Atherosclerosis is commonly known as hardening of the arteries
Atherosclerosis is the slow build-up of cholesterol and other fatty material in your arteries
This build-up is called an atheroma or plaque
The plaque may rupture suddenly, causing a blood clot that blocks the artery
With unstable angina, your heart's rhythm may also be affected, causing it to beat too fast or too slow. Rarely, your heart stops completely (cardiac arrest) and you die.
What are the symptoms of unstable angina?
Symptoms of unstable angina are similar to angina Angina Angina is pain, discomfort, or pressure in your chest that happens when your heart isn't getting enough oxygen. The lack of oxygen is caused by a narrow or blocked artery to your heart (coronary... read more , but the pain usually hurts more, lasts longer, and doesn't feel better with rest.
You may have pain in the middle of your chest
The pain may spread to your back, jaw, or left arm
Less often, the pain spreads to the right arm
The pain may occur in one or more of these places and not in your chest at all
You may feel sweaty and nervous
Your lips, hands, or feet may turn slightly blue
How can doctors tell if I have unstable angina?
Doctors base the diagnosis on your symptoms and do tests, such as:
Blood tests to check for certain substances that show heart problems
How do doctors treat unstable angina?
You will be admitted to the hospital. Doctors will:
Control your heart rhythm and blood pressure
Give you nitroglycerin under your tongue and by vein to relieve chest pain
Give you medicines to prevent blood clots
Give you medicines to lower the work load on your heart
Sometimes do a procedure (angioplasty) to open up the blocked artery
During angioplasty:
The doctor puts a small, flexible tube (catheter) into an artery in your upper leg (groin) or in your wrist
The catheter is pushed up the artery to your heart and then into one of your coronary arteries
A small balloon on the tip of the catheter is inflated
The balloon pushes the blockage open
Then the doctor slips a wire mesh tube (stent) off the end of the catheter into the blocked area
The wire mesh tube helps hold the blocked area open
Sometimes doctors can't do angioplasty. They may recommend bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass grafting or coronary artery bypass surgery).
During bypass surgery:
Doctors take a piece of healthy artery or vein from another part of your body
They sew one end of that piece of artery or vein to your aorta (the major artery that takes blood from your heart to the rest of your body)
They sew the other end to your blocked artery past the point of the blockage
Your blood then flows through this new route, bypassing the blockage
Treat the cause of your unstable angina
To treat the problem that caused your unstable angina, doctors usually give you:
They'll also have you change any behaviors that are hurting your heart, such as smoking, not exercising, and eating a poor diet.
How can I prevent unstable angina?
Change behaviors that may hurt your heart
Eat healthy foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables and other high-fiber foods
Eat less fat from meats, dairy, and processed foods (such as frozen pizza or microwaveable dinners)—talk to your doctor about how much and which types of fat you should eat
Lose weight if you need to
Stay active by using weights or walking
Stop smoking or using drugs—this can be a hard to stop, so talk to your doctor or a counselor about how to get help
Take your medicines correctly
Remember to take any medicines prescribed by your doctor, such as for high cholesterol High Cholesterol Cholesterol is a type of fat. Fats are also called lipids. Your body uses cholesterol to build important parts of cells and to make certain digestive juices. Your body needs cholesterol. But... read more
, high blood pressure High Blood Pressure Each heart beat pushes blood through your arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your body. Blood pressure is the pressure of blood in your arteries. Without... read more , or diabetes Diabetes Diabetes is a disease in which your blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high. You get diabetes if your body's normal way of controlling blood sugar isn't working right. There are 2 types of... read more If you're 50 or older, ask your doctor about taking a low dose of aspirin every day to help prevent heart attacks and strokes
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
| Generic Name | Select Brand Names |
|---|---|
nitroglycerin |
NITRO-DUR |
aspirin |
No US brand name |
