Angina in Women

The differences between the sexes are none more evident than with angina in women,women with symptoms of angina,.Although angina in both sexes is a common symptom for coronary heart disease, men and women will feel its symptoms differently.

While angina in men feels like a squeezing pressure or pain in the chest that can extend to the arms while engaged in physical activity and goes away with rest, angina in women is described as a burning and sharp pain in the chest extending into the neck, throat, jaw, abdomen and back while in a restful mode.

Angina in both sexes is a result of the heart muscles not getting sufficient amounts of oxygen-rich blood. It must be emphasized that one of the most dangerous complications of angina is heart attack, thus, the need to know of its causes and treatments before everything becomes too late.

Causes and signs of angina in women

The most common cause of angina is coronary artery disease, which is a condition where your arteries are abnormally narrowed by fatty deposits known as plaques. Of course, other heart diseases can cause the vital organ to be starved of oxygen, thus, the chest pains experienced.

As previously mentioned, angina symptoms in women or symptoms of women with angina markedly differ from those in men. However, women can also suffer from its classic symptoms such as chest pain, pressure, squeezing and heaviness together with the abovementioned stabbing and pulsating pains to the chest. There may also be symptoms of abdominal pain and even of nausea for angina in women.

Keep in mind that since these symptoms can also be attributed to fatigue resulting from excessive exercise and extreme stress, women may not seek medical opinion. In doing so, diagnostic examinations and treatment protocols are delayed that can result in more complications. Although aangina disease complications can be as mild as difficulty in performing daily activities, again, it must be emphasized that heart attack is indeed a very real possibility.

Diagnosis and Treatments for women and angina

Fortunately,for women with angina disease this need not happen to you. There are many diagnostic tests available that will provide for objective measurements as to the type of angina present and, hence, the best treatment protocol to counteract its effects on your general health. These tests include taking down your medical history for correlation with the results of an electrocardiograph, an echocardiogram, a coronary angiography, and chest X-rays as well as nuclear stress tests.

Once the results are in, appropriate treatment can begin. The main purposes of angina treatment are two-fold: to lessen the severity and frequency of your symptoms as well as to lessen your risks for a heart attack.

There a number of medications effective in the treatment of angina, which include aspirin, nitrates, beta blockers, statins and calcium channel blockers. Lifestyle changes are also highly recommended such as quitting smoking, losing weight, engaging in exercise, getting sufficient sleep, following a healthy diet, and managing stress. In more severe cases, surgery such as angioplasty and stenting as well as coronary artery bypass surgery are necessary to correct the problem.

Angina in women can be effectively treated especially when it is diagnosed early. The most important part, however, is to stick to the recommended treatment plan. Otherwise, angina in women will become yet another source of death due to heart diseases - a very sad thing indeed.

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