Chest pain or discomfort may occur when your heart muscles do not get enough oxygenated blood. This pain is often called angina. Angina is not an illness but the main symptom of a heart issue. This pain or discomfort experienced can feel like a burning sensation or more of a generalized pressure that is compressing your chest. Patients with angina tend to feel pain in their arms, neck, shoulder, back, or jaw, and may be accompanied by difficulty breathing. Chest pains are among the common reasons patients visit the emergency room, resulting in more than 8 million ER visits annually. Many of these people worry they are experiencing heart attacks when they feel chest pain, but other common conditions may cause it. Here are the various ways angina Forest Hills experts can address your angina problem.
Suggest an Electrocardiogram
Your healthcare provider may recommend an electrocardiogram to help determine if you are suffering from heart disease. If you experience angina pain, an electrocardiogram is usually the first diagnostic test done to help detect cardiovascular diseases. During this test, your doctor will record the electrical activity of your heart and check for any damage to the size, heart, and position of your heart chambers. It also measures the effects of medications you may use to help manage your angina pain. The procedure of an electrocardiogram is usually painless and very effective in determining the immediate cause of your chest pain and discomfort.
Ensure you are Well-Hydrated
Various reports have proven that ensuring you are well-hydrated helps remove excess sodium in your body, which can increase your risk for hypertension, coronary heart disease, and angina pain. You should drink two liters of water daily to help maintain your body’s water levels. For patients prescribed blood-thinning medications for angina pain, you should consult your doctor on how much water you should take daily. Failing to drink adequate amounts of water can result in dehydration, which causes dizziness, shortness of breath, irritability, and headaches.
Avoid inflammatory foods
Excessive consumption of inflammatory foods can increase your risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, bloating, and indigestion, all of which can trigger angina pain. You can help reduce your risk of angina pain by making healthy food choices and increasing your intake of fruits. This is because fruits are rich in antioxidants that are beneficial in eliminating toxins and improving blood circulation.
Get Adequate Sleep
Failing to get adequate sleep can lead to high blood pressure, chronic stress, and obesity, which can increase your angina pain. Sleep deprivation can also weaken your immune system, lower your life expectancy, increase the production of stress hormones and increase your risk for chronic disease. You should consult your healthcare provider if you have insomnia or sleep apnea.
Manage your Stress Levels
High stress levels can cause anxiety, impair immune function, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and trigger angina pain. That said, it is important to manage your stress levels. Your doctor may recommend stress management techniques such as meditation exercises and help you make time for recreation to ensure your body gets enough rest.
Find Quick Relief for Angina Pain Today
Many conditions, such as acid reflux, asthma, muscle strain, anxiety, and cardiovascular problems, can trigger angina pain. Angina pain can also be a symptom of a life-threatening health complication, so it would be best to get immediate medical care if you think you may be experiencing heart problems. While home remedies effectively relieve angina pain, seek medical advice from a professional caregiver for frequent or intense angina pain cases. Your doctor will diagnose your pain and recommend suitable treatment solutions.
