In most people, the most common symptom of coronary artery disease is the type of chest pain called angina, or angina pectoris. Angina usually is described as a squeezing, pressing or burning chest pain that tends to be felt mainly in the center of the chest or just below the center of the rib cage. It also can spread to the arms (especially the left arm), abdomen, neck, lower jaw or neck. Other symptoms can include sweating, nausea, dizziness or lightheadedness, breathlessness, or palpitations. Sometimes, when coronary artery disease causes burning chest pain and nausea, a patient may mistake heart symptoms for indigestion.
There are two types of chest pain related to coronary artery disease — stable angina and acute coronary syndrome.
Many people with coronary artery disease, especially women, do not have any symptoms or have unusual symptoms. In these people, the only sign of coronary artery disease may be a suspicious change in the pattern of a test called an electrocardiogram (EKG), which records the heart's electrical activity. The test can be done at rest or during exercise (exercise stress test). The stress test is able to detect the problem in the coronary artery because exercise increases the heart muscle's demand for blood. The body can't meet this demand when the coronary arteries are significantly narrowed. In areas of the heart affected by narrowed coronary arteries, the heart muscle starves for blood and oxygen, and its electrical activity changes. This altered electrical activity is reflected in the patient's EKG results.
If the problem is not discovered, the first symptom of coronary artery narrowing may be a heart attack. A person who has a heart attack has a 15%chance of dying before receiving medical attention.
Possible tests include:
An EKG — An EKG is a record of the heart's electrical impulses. It can identify problems in heart rate and rhythm, and it can provide clues that part of your heart muscle isn't getting enough blood.
Blood test for heart enzymes — When heart muscle is damaged, enzymes leak out of the damaged muscle cells into the bloodstream. Elevated heart enzymes suggest a heart problem.
An exercise stress test on a treadmill — An exercise stress test monitors the effects of treadmill exercise on blood pressure and EKG and can identify heart problems.
An echocardiogram — This test uses ultrasound to produce images of the heart's movement with each beat.
Imaging test with radioactive tracers — In this test, a radioactive material is injected and is taken up by the heart muscle, which helps certain features show up on images taken with special cameras.
A coronary angiogram (a series of X-rays of the coronary arteries) — The coronary angiogram is considered the most accurate way to measure the severity of coronary disease. During an angiogram, a thin, long, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into an artery in the forearm or groin and then is threaded through the circulatory system into the coronary arteries. Dye is injected to show the blood flow within the coronary arteries and to identify any areas of narrowing or blockage.
- Quit smoking.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Reduce your high blood LDL cholesterol ("bad cholesterol").
- Reduce high blood pressure.
- Lose weight and exercise to prevent diabetes.
Hope it is correct for your condition, InshAllah!
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