ANGINA PECTORIS:MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA

Image via Wikipedia

Myocardial ischemia is a condition where the blood supply to the heart is compromised due to narrowing of the blood vessels that supply the heart, that is the coronary arteries. Myocardium is the name given to the muscles of the heart.
Angina pectoris is the name given to the chest pain or chest discomfort that occurs due to myocardial ischemia. It is a severe squeezing, sharp pain or heaviness felt in the front of the chest. The pain is felt predominantly over the sternum, which is the bone located in front of the chest, in between ribs of two sides.

This type of pain may radiate to the neck, jaw, arm, shoulders and other areas.

Angina pectoris, is of two types, stable and unstable angina.The pain of stable angina usually occurs after a periods of exertion, be it emotional or physical. The pain of stable angina usually subside after a period of rest or relieved by taking medicines like sublingual nitroglycerine tablets.

I’ll try to explain unstable angina in my next post.

One note of advice, if any individual experiences this sort of chest discomfort, please do not forget to contact your doctor or the emergency department of your nearest hospital.

Please consult this topic, with other reliable internet resources or with your doctor.

Tags: myocardial ischemia, nitroglycerine, ANGINA, stable, UNSTABLE ANGINA, HEART DISEASE