Treatment of microvascular angina

Microvascular angina is often referred to as Cardiac Syndrome X, and this condition is caused when the small cardiac blood vessels do not receive adequate blood flow, and the result is a lack of oxygen to the affected areas. Microvascular angina can cause a pain or pressure sensation in the chest, as well as tingling and numbness in the jaw and face area, as well as in the shoulders and arms. Your chest may feel like it is burning or you may feel a crushing sensation which makes breathing difficult. These symptoms can also be caused by angina pectoris, but this condition is caused when the large cardiac blood vessels are affected, not the smaller vessels. Normally microvascular angina does not result in an arterial blockage, but this condition can slightly increase your risk for a heart attack or a stroke and should be treated as soon as possible.

Treatment for microvascular angina can include several different approaches. The most effective treatment for this condition starts with changes in your lifestyle. These changes are essential for the other treatment steps to work successfully. If you smoke then you need to quit immediately. Smoking increases the amounts of cholesterol and other harmful substances in your blood, and these can contribute to arterial blockages of the large and small cardiac arteries. High blood pressure can also contribute to the development of microvascular angina, and so can diabetes. If you have either of these conditions it is important that you follow the advice of your physician and take any medications prescribed as directed.

Your weight can also be a contributing factor with microvascular angina, and so can your diet. If you are overweight then you need to take steps to lose the excess weight and incorporate more exercise and activity into your daily schedule. Obesity can double or even triple your risks for all types of angina, because this excess weight makes it difficult for your blood vessels and arteries to work efficiently. Even being twenty pounds overweight can make it much harder for your heart and arterial arteries to work properly, and can cause a blockage over time.

Treatments for microvascular angina will depend on the specific cause of the condition in your case. Nitroglycerin may be prescribed to help improve the blood flow and amount of oxygen to your heart, so that the symptoms of the microvascular angina subside and the condition disappears. Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers are other classes of drugs that can be used for treating this condition. These drugs treat microvascular angina by reducing the amount of oxygen needed by your heart and lowering the work requirements for this organ. Rest is also prescribed as part of the treatment, so that your heart and arteries can recover. If none of these treatments work and the microvascular angina is still a problem then surgery may be the next treatment option. Surgery options can include a coronary bypass procedure, a balloon angioplasty, or even a stent placed in the blocked artery to hold it open and prevent any further blockage.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.