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Angina is a heart pain that last for a
couple of minutes. It may be due to temporary
imbalance of the flow of the oxygen to the muscles
of the heart. The underlying cause of angina is the
reduction in supply of the blood due to the
deposition of the cholesterol. The pain is due to
physical or emotional activities.
Symptoms
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Angina
can be recognized by characterized pain
radiation. The pain is constricting, squeezing,
choking, as if some heavy weight is placed on
the chest.
-
The
pain is usually located centrally in the front
of the chest or in the lower portion of the
sternum (breast –bone).
-
Although
the heart is left sided, the pain is rarely left
sided, and it radiates to the left shoulder and
arm , right shoulder and arm, or both, or to the
neck or jaw, or in between the two shoulder
blades at the back or even at the pit of the
stomach.
Relief from pain can be brought about through:
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Rest
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End
of exertion
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Drug
like nitroglycerine
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Myocardial infarction or heart attack
is the severe heart pain due to the collapse of some
part of the heart muscles. Some times it leads to
spot death. The underlying cause of myocardial
infarction is the obstruction in the coronary
artery, the artery that supplies blood to the heart
muscle. This obstruction is due to the narrowing of
the artery caused due to the deposition of fats on
the walls of the artery (atheroma), leading to
clotting of blood (thrombosis) thus blocking supply
of blood to the heart muscles.
Symptoms
It has the same characterized pain as that of angina
but more prolonged and severe that lasts for few
hours and takes several days to recover. The
symptoms are:
· Chest pain
· Weakness
· Profuse cold sweat
· Palpitation
· Difficulty in breathing
· Deathly pallor
· Vomiting
Complications due to
Infarction
· Irregular pulse
· Low blood pressure—leading to cardiogenic shock
· Difficulty in breathing, cough and frothy blood
stained sputum
· Infarction of the lungs due to clotting of the
blood in the veins of the leg
· Paralysis
Difference in the Symptoms
of Angina and Heart Attack:
· Pain has not subsided even after 20 min of rest.
· It has not responded to 2-3 doses of
nitroglycerine
· Continuous recurrence
· Profound weakness
· Cold sweat
· Irregular pulse
· Difficulty in breathing
In case, you are not able to differentiate these
symptoms, immediately contact the doctor.
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