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Chest Pain Should Always Mean A Trip To The Doctor

12 July 2016 by Ross Martin

You may have had moments of chest pain when walking up stairs or mowing the yard. The pain went away when you stopped doing the activity and relaxed for a moment. Since the pain was gone, you likely didn't give it another thought. But your body was telling you about something that could become a much bigger problem. This kind of chest pain is called angina and is a warning sign see a family doctor, such as at Rural Health Services Consortium Inc., for an examination. Here is what is going on to cause the chest pain and why it's so important to follow up with your doctor even after the pain is gone.

Angina is a Gentle "Nudge" from Your Heart

Your heart is a muscle and needs a steady supply of blood to function. Three special blood vessels, called coronary arteries, provide the heart tissue with blood. Of most importance to your heart is the oxygen in the blood.

When the oxygen supply is insufficient for its needs, the heart complains. A blockage in one or more of the coronary arteries is the typical reason for a lack of oxygen to the heart. When the heart needs to exert itself, such as when you walk up stairs or do yard work, it needs more oxygen.

When the coronary arteries are partially blocked, the blood flow is reduced to the heart. As the heart struggles to get enough oxygen, you begin to feel the dull chest pain associated with angina. When you rest, your heart rate goes down and it needs less oxygen. The pain goes away. If you ignore the pain and the arteries become even more blocked, the next chest pain you may feel could be a serious heart attack.

Why the Coronary Arteries Become Blocked

There are several reasons that those critical articles become blocked:

• High Cholesterol - When the balance between your good and bad cholesterol is off, fatty deposits can accumulate on the walls of the blood vessels.
• Atherosclerosis - This disease of the blood vessels leaves the vessel walls less flexible. Rigid blood vessels can't move blood through them as easily as healthy blood vessels.
• Diabetes - This disease also affects the blood vessels, making them weaker and unable to pump blood as effectively.

Treating Blocked Blood Vessels

When you see your doctor after having angina, they will do tests to determine the precise cause. Your doctor will likely refer you to a cardiologist for a complete heart study. Once they know the cause, your doctors will recommend one or more of the following treatments:

• Medication - You may get prescriptions to control your cholesterol to reduce the fatty buildup in the blood vessels.
• Artery stint - This is a plastic device inserted into a partially blocked artery to open it up and allow blood to flow freely.
• Surgery - A severely or totally blocked coronary artery needs to be replaced to restore the blood flow to your heart. The damaged section of the artery is removed and a vessel from another part of your body, such as your leg, is attached to the heart in its place.

It's important to get checked up when you experience any level of chest pain. Early treatment of heart disease will keep you from having a painful, and perhaps fatal, heart attack.

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