Managing Pain from Heart Disease and Angina

Two common sources of chest pain are angina and coronary heart disease. When the vessels that supply oxygen and blood to the hart narrow, that is coronary heart disease. Angina is the sort of discomfort or pain felt in the chest when you perform certain activities, or when you feel stressed, caused by poor blood flow through the heart’s blood vessels. Managing these particular types of chest pain can be broken down into a few main categories.

Lifestyle Changes

Blood flow is key to understanding pain caused by coronary heart disease and angina. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are all factors to keep in mind. You should check with a medical professional, but many people will be advised to keep their blood pressure to 130/80, or lower if you suffer from kidney disease, diabetes, heart problems or stroke. Here are some general lifestyle points to keep in mind which are considered risk factors for heart disease:

Exercise: Getting aerobic exercise like walking, biking, or swimming at last 40 minutes a day and 3 to 4 times a week can help heart health
Don’t smoke or use tobacco
Limit yourself to no more than one alcoholic drink per day for women, or two per day for men
Depression: Taking care of your emotional health is important. If you are discovered to suffer from depression, getting it treated can help as well
Avoid or reduce stress
Maintain a healthy weight

Diet Changes

Eating a balanced diet geared toward heart health can help you manage some of the conditions that cause heart pain, including heart disease and angina. Here are a few options:

When eating proteins, make sure they are lean ones. This includes chicken without the skin, beans and fish
Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains can help with heart health
If eating dairy products, opt for non-fat or low-fat. This includes skim milk and low-fat yogurt
Avoid high levels of salt/sodium in your foods
Choose fewer types of foods containing cream, eggs or cheese
Avoid foods containing saturated fat, partially hydrogenated fats or hydrogenated fats. These are usually found in processed foods, baked goods and fried foods. Looking at food labels can help

Managing Your Medication

Any medication for heart conditions will come at the recommendation of your healthcare professional, which makes it equally important that you discuss with them before stopping any heart medications. Stopping suddenly or changing up your dose can worsen angina or cause a heart attack. Some of the drugs typically prescribed to treat CHD, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol include:

Beta-blockers
ACE inhibitors
Calcium channel blockers
Diuretics
Statins
Nitroglycerin pills or spray

Summary

Your doctor will be able to help you put together a plan for heart health, and to manage angina. You should discuss with them the activities that are healthy for you to do, and which aren’t, as well as the medications you should take, and signs to look out for should your angina get worse.

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