Question

Before Rashidah is discharged from the hospital, her care team informs her that she may experience stable angina, a form of chest pain, in the future. Briefly explain how angina is different from the pain associated with a myocardial infarction.

Answer 1

Angina is chest pain that occurs because the heart muscle is not receiving enough blood. When the heart is at rest, it may receive enough blood despite the atherosclerosis. ... When the coronary arteries become blocked or severely narrowed by a blood clot, this causes a myocardial infarction, or heart attack.

Angina is the medical term for chest pain. The heart is not only the pump for the blood of our body but it is also a muscle. Just like all muscles in the body it requires blood to provide oxygen and nutrients to maintain the health and function of the muscle.

The coronary arteries are the arteries that provide blood to the heart muscle. If the arteries are narrowed, the heart muscle is at risk for not receiving enough blood. Atherosclerosis is a plaque build-up that causes narrowing in the arteries.

At rest, the heart muscle requires less oxygen and nutrients than with activity. Think of your car. When driving at a slow rate, it requires less gas to fuel it. But when the car is performing at high speeds, it requires increased gas to fuel it. The same applies to your heart.

Therefore, when a person has atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, they may not experience any problems when at rest. But when the person becomes active, causing the heart to work harder, there is not enough blood flow to keep up with the increased workload. When a muscle doesn't receive enough oxygen and nutrients, it causes pain in that muscle. It can also cause other symptoms such as feeling lightheaded and short of breath. This is why angina occurs and it can indicate that a more serious event may occur.

Myocardial Infarction

If the narrowed arteries that feed the heart muscle become blocked or severely narrowed, it is called a myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack. The blockage is often due to a blood clot. When the heart muscle doesn't receive oxygen and nutrient-rich blood, it results in cell damage and death in the heart. This results in permanent damage to the heart muscle.

Time is important when experiencing a heart attack. The longer the blockage occurs, the more damage that can be done.

It is recommended to take aspirin if experiencing signs and symptoms of a heart attack. The aspirin works to prevent any further clotting. In the emergency room, they will administer oxygen. They may also administer nitroglycerin, which dilates the blood vessels and allows increased blood flow to the heart. Morphine is used for pain. It may be necessary to have a stent placed to open up the artery and resume normal blood perfusion.