Angina Pectoris Ekg

Introduction

In today's society, people are gaining medical knowledge at quite a fast pace. Treatments, cures, and vaccines for various diseases and disorders are being developed constantly, and yet, coronary disease remains the number one killer in the world.

The media today concentrates intently on drug and alcohol abuse, homicides, AIDS, and so on. What a lot of people aren't realizing is that coronary disease actually accounts for about 80% of sudden deaths. In fact, the number of deaths from heart disease approximately equals to the number of deaths from cancer, chronic lung disease, pneumonia and influenza, and others combined.

One of the symptoms of coronary disease is Angina Pectoris. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not take it seriously, and thus not realizing that it may lead to other complications, and even death.

The most common cause of the condition angina pectoris is over consumption of cholesterol. This chemical is only needed in minute amounts, but is often eaten in every meal. In the body, cholesterol is responsible for the stability of plasma membranes of cells, and hormones are produced from it. If consumed at higher rate then needed it is stored in the tunica internal, the innermost layer, of blood vessels. As it is stored it starts to build up eventually clogging the vessel. As a result of this all cells feed by the vessel die because of a lack of oxygen. If this condition is found early, it can be corrected with surgical procedures or, in some minor cases, corrective procedures. Surgical procedures include bypass, laser and balloon surgery. In bypass surgery a vein is removed from the lower leg and a clogged vessel is worked around. Often in type of surgery the whole mid section of the body is cut and the ribs are pulled back, very painful with a very slow recovery. Some hospitals have now implemented a new technique where only a small hole is made and everything is done via a view screen. In balloon surgery a balloon is inserted into the vessel with the clog and is inflated. When this occurs the vessel is damaged, this causes the cells to repair the damage and clear the clog. This is not as successful as other surgery techniques and is often done several times before a positive result is seen. Laser surgery is the most recent development. Here they use a laser to actually scrape the build up from the vessel. This surgery is one of the most expensive surgeries available today. Corrective procedures include changes in lifestyle. These can include food intake, exercise, and stress-related issues. Food intake is largely the answer to correcting this situation. As shown above excessive intake of cholesterol can increase the risk of a heart attack. Coupled with excessive salt intake can produce another problem known as hypertension or commonly called high blood pressure. This can further increase the risk of a heart attack since the heart has to work harder to achieve a homeostatic state. Therefore the heart is working with less efficiency. For example a runner's heart may beat 64 times a minute. A person with hypertension heart rate may be 98. The runner's heart is working with more efficiency; therefore it does not need to beat as fast as the person with hypertension. The person with hypertension has a high heart rate since it cannot pump as much blood per contraction. Exercise is another corrective procedure prescribed since it increases cardiovascular fitness. As seen above, cardiovascular fitness can reduce the risk of heart attacks. Stress-related issues can increase blood pressure for unknown reasons and therefore can also increase the risk of a heart attack. All these factors can influence the health of our cardiovascular system therefore care must be taken to ensure proper function. This includes handling stress with care, eating, and exercising right.

The Human Heart

In order to understand angina, one must know about our own heart. The human heart is a powerful muscle in the body which is worked the hardest. A double pump system, the heart consists of two pumps side by side, which pump blood to all parts of the body. Its steady beating maintains the flow of blood through the body day and night, year after year, nonstop from birth until death.

The heart is a hollow, muscular organ slightly bigger than a person's clenched fist. It is located in the center of the chest, under the breastbone above the sternum, but it slightly slanted to the left giving people the impression that the heart is on the left side of the chest.

The heart is divided into two halves, which are further divided into four chambers: the left atrium and ventricle, and the right atrium and ventricle. Each chamber on one side is separated from the other, by a valve, and it the closure of these valves that produce the "lubb-dubb" sound so familiar to us.

Like any other organs in our body, the heart needs a supply of blood and oxygen, and coronary arteries supply them. There are two main coronary arteries, the left coronary artery, and the right coronary artery. They branch off the main artery of the body, the aorta. The right coronary artery circles the right side and goes to the back of the heart. The left coronary artery further divides into the left circumflex and the left anterior descending artery. These two left arteries feed the front and left side of the heart. The division of the left coronary artery is the reason why doctors usually refer to three main coronary arteries.

Symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease

There are three main symptoms of coronary disease: heart attack, sudden death, and Angina.

Heart attack occurs when a blood clot suddenly and completely blocks a diseased coronary artery, resulting in the death of the heart muscle cells supplied by that artery. Coronary and Coronary Thrombosis are 2 terms that can refer to a heart attack. Another term, Acute Myocardial Infarction, means death of heart muscle due to an inadequate blood supply.

Sudden death occurs due to cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest may be the first symptom of coronary artery disease and may occur without any symptoms or warning signs. Other causes of sudden death include drowning, suffocation, electrocution, drug overdose, trauma (such as automobile accidents), and stroke. Drowning, suffocation, and drug overdose usually cause respiratory arrest which in turn cause cardiac arrest. Trauma may cause sudden death by severe injury to the heart and brain, or by severe blood loss. Stroke causes damage to the brain which can cause respiratory arrest and/or cardiac arrest.

People with coronary heart disease whether or not they have