Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease
Those who suffer from coronary heart disease (CAD) often suffer from angina. Angina is chest pain or discomfort that can be the result of your heart muscle not getting enough oxygen-rich blood.
Angina might feel like tightness in your chest. The feeling can radiate to other areas including your limbs, neck, back or jaw. Rest helps the pain go away while activity and stress can cause the pain to become worse.
Those suffering from coronary heart disease can also have shortness of breath. Coronary heart disease can lead to congestive heart failure. However, severity of symptoms may vary.
Common Causes of Coronary Artery Disease
When there is damage in the inner layers of the coronary arteries, coronary heart disease can occur. Contributing factors include
- Blood vessel inflammation
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar (diabetes or insulin resistance)
- High cholesterol
- Smoking
To help prevent coronary artery disease, some risk factors may be controlled or modified:
Controllable Risk Factors
- Follow a healthy diet
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Monitor high blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Don't smoke
Non-controllable Risk Factors
- Age
- Family history
- Gender
Diagnosis
No single test can diagnose coronary artery disease. A physician will check medical and family history and risk factors. The patient will have a physical exam and possibly tests and procedures.
Treatment
The biggest impact that a person can do for herself/himself is to live a heart-healthy lifestyle. This results in reducing the risk for diseases like coronary artery disease. Heart-healthy lifestyle changes include changes to diet, exercise, not smoking, and managing stress. Your physician can provide guidance in these areas.
Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctors. Always talk with your doctors about diagnosis and treatment options.