TELEME Healing Life Stories

by TELEME mobile healthcare app platform

Angina? You must have the heart for it

Siva (not his real name) was cutting down a tree on his farm when he got out of breath and his
chest was sore. He stopped to get his breath back, but when he started sawing the tree again, it
happened once more. He stopped and decided to leave it for another day, thinking he was getting
old.

The incident cropped up in a onversation with his sister a few days later. When she heard his
symptoms, she insisted that he call the doctor immediately. So he did.

An electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed the need for further testing. Siva underwent a treadmill test
at the hospital 2 weeks later and was then told he had suffered from Angina and needed to have
some stents inserted. Angina can be a sign of other significant health issues like coronary artery
disease.

The majority of people who experience Angina do so because of plaque buildup on the wall of one
or more coronary arteries that slowly and steadily constricts blood flow to the heart. If that artery
becomes completely blocked, a heart attack occurs.

There are 2 major types of Angina: stable and unstable. Other variations of Angina exist, but they
are rare.

Stable angina keeps a reliable pattern. The symptoms only happen under predictable
circumstances and usually last less than 10 minutes, but always less than 20 minutes before they
go away. Often exercise, emotional stress or large meals trigger this kind of angina.

Unstable angina means the pattern keeps changing or getting worse. In this case, the symptoms
may come on more frequently with less exertion. They may also be more severe and last longer.
They can occur with little to no stress or activity. Sometimes, unstable angina is triggered by blood
clots.

If the angina continues for more than 20 minutes, the health risks increase significantly. Angina is
commonly associated with chest pain but that’s not the whole story. The spectrum of symptoms
that occur when the heart doesn’t get enough blood is broad.

Angina symptoms may include:

• Chest tightness
• Burning or other discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Discomfort in the shoulders, between the shoulder blades or down an arm
• Unusual numbness

Not all chest pain is Angina, and not all Angina presents with chest pain. Angina can manifest as
left-sided or central chest pain radiating to the left arm, shoulder, neck, jaw, or back. However, it
can also present as shortness of breath, indigestion or pain isolated to only the jaw, neck, left arm,
shoulder or back.

Other medical conditions can cause similar symptoms. Therefore, people experiencing these
symptoms should seek consultation with their physician.

1
Siva learnt that if he was unsure whether he was experiencing Angina, he had to take note of
repeating patterns. How long do the symptoms last? Do the symptoms start because of exercise,
eating, or stress? Do they stop if he stops exercising? Where does the pain occur? Does a change
in his position trigger the symptoms? Does deep breathing or coughing affect the symptoms?

He was told that if he was regularly experiencing symptoms that fit these patterns, then he had
better see his physician. Angina is rare in people under 35 years of age unless that person has
comorbidities like diabetes or smoking. Besides age, smoking and diabetes, risk factors include a
history of hypertension or high cholesterol.

If an immediate family member has been diagnosed with heart disease, the other siblings may
have a higher risk of it as well. Angina is not a disease, instead it is a symptom of other heart
conditions including coronary artery disease. Therefore treatment solutions are tailored to each
individual and medication to treat the systemic components of the illness are needed.

If it is a partial obstruction, treatment includes medication, surgery or stent placement. A total

obstruction may lead to a heart attack.

The main treatment for a total obstruction has been medication or bypass surgery. Now however,
cardiologists use a less-invasive catheter method to navigate through the blockage and place a
stent in the blood vessel that can relieve even a chronic total blockage.

Siva was lucky to have doctors who took advantage of this newest innovation to place 2 stents
ansd reduce his recovery time and improve his long-term outcome. The nurses and physicians
were dedicated to ensuring that he understood his condition and participated in the decisions
needed to best manage his recovery.

TELEME Healing Life Stories is a collection of inspirational stories of how

ordinary people triumph over their health conditions and recover to lead a
healthier life after that. Feel free to email hello@teleme.co to share your story.

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