Angina pectoris

Angina pectoris is a heart disease that is common in middle-aged and elderly people. It is also called “angina pectoris” due to the fact that the patient has pressing pain behind the sternum. The cause of the disease is obstruction of the coronary arteries, as a result of which the heart does not receive enough blood enriched with oxygen.

Angina: the main cause of the disease

The main cause of the disease is oxygen starvation of the heart due to insufficient oxygen in the blood. This happens due to the narrowing of the lumen of the coronary arteries, through which blood flows to the heart. The main reason for this narrowing is the spasm or atherosclerosis. It can also be caused by inflammation, for example, a syphilitic mesaortitis. An attack of angina, which is manifested in oxygen deficiency, may occur due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Often, the propensity for the disease is inherited: if a person has a family member (direct relatives) who suffered a myocardial infarction or died of a heart attack, the risk of the disease increases 10-fold compared to those whose relatives had no heart problems.

Men and women at different ages are exposed to the development of the disease in different ways. Estrogens protect women from heart attacks and atherosclerosis in women of reproductive age, they maintain low levels of cholesterol in the body. But after menopause, when sex hormones are produced much less frequently, the representatives of the weaker sex become less protected against diseases of the cardiovascular system than men. Angina: signs of the disease

This disease can occur due to stress or over-exertion, as well as from smoking or hypothermia. The attack of the disease manifests itself as follows: the patient first feels discomfort or pain in the chest, behind the sternum, which gives to the left arm or shoulder, neck, lower jaw, or spreads over the entire chest. All these are the main symptoms of angina. Also, the attack is accompanied by a feeling of anxiety and fear. If the patient is lying, then the pain increases, so it is better to sit or stand.

The diagnosis should be established as soon as possible, because angina can be a sign of a serious heart disease that is hidden. But you need to know that similar symptoms are observed with a stomach ulcer or gallstone disease. Here are symptoms that do not apply to angina:

1. Constant aching pain;
2. After taking nitroglycerin, the pain does not subside, but rather increases;
3. The occurrence of pain does not depend on physical exertion;
4. The attack of pain in duration exceeds the interval of 15-20 minutes.

How to treat the disease?

First of all, a patient suffering from angina, you need to settle your diet: reduce the consumption of saturated fat and constantly monitor the level of cholesterol in the blood. It is also not recommended to overeat. It is useful to eat fatty fish at least 2 times a week. It contains fatty acids, and they prevent the hardening of the arteries, thereby improving the blood supply to the heart. Still useful are fruits and vegetables enriched with vitamin C and beta-carotene. Also among experts there is an opinion that onion and garlic help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Magnesium and potassium dilute blood and prevent the formation of blood clots, the walls of blood vessels are maintained in an elastic state. In addition, these elements slow down the growth of atherosclerotic plaque on the inner walls of blood vessels, so they are very effective in treating angina pectoris. Patients with angina are often prescribed the drug "Panangin", which contains these elements.

Also, doctors prescribe medicines to patients, which contribute to the expansion of blood vessels and improve the blood supply to the heart. One of these is nitroglycerin. As well as for use, calcium channel blocker drugs are shown, which are vasodilators of the 2nd group.

Treatment of folk remedies

Treatment of angina at home is possible within certain limits. Rather, it is an additional therapy that should be carried out under the supervision of the attending physician.

Recipes for the treatment of angina at home:

• Take 5 heads of garlic, 10 lemons and 1 l of honey. Peel the garlic, and squeeze the juice from the lemons, which should then be poured into honey. Then crush the garlic and also mix with other ingredients. Leave the mixture for 7 days in a dark cool place in a closed container. Take this tool should be on an empty stomach every morning, 2 tablespoons. 1 per day. Between the intake of each spoon should be 1-2 minutes, but no need to hurry, but on the contrary: slowly dissolve the honey in the mouth. The course of treatment lasts until the whole remedy is over;
• Before each meal, eat a crust of 1 lemon. After a week, the patient will feel an improvement in their well-being. At the same time, you should avoid fried foods and eat mostly soups;
• Take 3-5 leaves of aloe (the plant must be at least 3 years old), squeeze juice from them into the jar. Add 0.5 kg of honey and juice of 2 lemons, tightly close the jar with a lid and put it in the fridge on the bottom shelf. Take this tool is necessary for 1 tbsp. an hour before meals. The duration of treatment is a year, but you need to be interrupted for 1 month. On average, 4 treatments are obtained;
• Add the crushed garlic head and salt to a glass of wine. Drink the mixture, lie down and cover yourself. So you need to do 30 days at night. The course of treatment can be repeated 2 times a year - in spring and autumn. This remedy not only relieves angina, but also improves sleep;
• Take 0.5 kg of honey and 0.5 liters of vodka, mix and heat on the stove until a homogeneous mass. Then take 1 liter of distilled water, boil it. After take 1 tsp. motherwort, chamomile, marsh codweed, valerian root and knotweed, pour all this with boiled water and leave for 3 hours, then strain and add honey and vodka to the mixture. After leaving the agent to infuse for a week. Then during the week 1 tsp. drink the remedy in the morning and evening. The second week means you need to drink 1 tbsp. and thus use the remedy until the end of the course of treatment. To be treated with this tool should be a year with interruptions of 10 days;
• Brew hawthorn tea: for 1 liter of boiling water you need to take 4 tbsp. hawthorn It is better to brew such tea in a thermos, in which case tea will retain most of the useful substances
• Take 4 tbsp. l dry peppermint and pour 1 liter of boiling water, and then insist all a couple of hours. There you can add valerian root, it has a calming effect on the body, and then drink it like regular tea;
• To relieve pain, you need to drop 6 drops of fir oil on your palm and rub into the heart area. The patient will feel an improvement after the 1st procedure. To prevent strokes, every day you need to rub 2-3 drops of fir oil. And during the attack itself, it is recommended to drink 20 g of brandy with sugar - this also helps to relieve pain;
• The pharmacy should buy hawthorn, valerian and motherwort tinctures, and then mix them together. This tool should be drunk in the morning before breakfast at 3 tsp. Infusion can be drunk not only in the morning, but in the evening.

Prevention of angina pectoris: lifestyle and diet

It is best to begin the prevention of angina from childhood: instill in children a love for an active lifestyle, clearly explain the harm of smoking and alcohol, do not overfeed the child and follow his diet.

Adults must stop smoking and alcohol abuse. But if the patient is a smoker with experience, then it is better to quit gradually, not sharply, just by reducing the daily dose.

You also need to maintain an active lifestyle, that is, physical activity should be regular, but not excessive.

Diet for angina is included in the overall prevention and treatment. With angina, you need to eat moderately, without overeating. In this case, the body should receive all the necessary elements and vitamins. You can eat almost everything, but in moderation. It is necessary to avoid fried, fatty, salty, spicy and smoked dishes. Instead of them, it is better to introduce fruits and vegetables (fresh) into your diet, as well as dairy products, especially dairy products: kefir, ryazhenka, cottage cheese, etc. The consumption of sweets should be minimal. Daily calorie intake should not exceed 2500 kcal per day, and in the case when the patient is obese - from 1800 to 2000 kcal.

Angina pectoris is a serious disease that requires special attention. At the first signs it is necessary to urgently consult with the doctor and not to neglect his recommendations. And it is better to engage in the prevention of the disease - to monitor your diet, to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. This disease is easier to prevent than to cure!