Natural Methods to Treat Angina Pain

Derived from the Latin word, ‘angere’, angina is a condition or more so often a symptom of myocardial ischemia – which is when there is a reduced supply of blood flow to the heart, keeping the heart from receiving the oxygen it needs to function. It is common when a person has coronary artery disease. Angina’s Latin origin means to strangle, much like the discomfort that the condition causes. Angina may feel like a burning, squeezing sensation or a feeling of pressure and tightness. The reduced supply of blood causes these symptoms along with basic chest pain and discomfort. This is mainly due to the deposit of fats, cholesterol, and some other substances on the walls of the arteries. Women are at a higher risk than men, and as previous cases have shown, angina is more common in women than in men. In this blog, we will look into how you can recognize the signs and symptoms of angina, the types of angina and its cardiac pain causes, and some angina pain treatment methods. 

Types of Angina 

There are mainly three types of angina; stable, unstable, and variant, which causes pain for various reasons:

• Stable Angina: Stable angina occurs when a lot of stress is put on the body from physical activities, general stress, extreme temperatures, or heavy meals. It is commonly experienced when these activities put the body in a situation that increases the oxygen demand and then the body displays the signs and symptoms of angina. Stable angina lasts for a short while and usually goes away with rest. 
• Unstable Angina: Unstable angina is worse than stable as it does not occur in any pattern. It is unpredictable. It is caused when there’s a blood clot in the arteries. The signs and symptoms of angina of this type may continue for longer than stable angina. It is more difficult to treat this kind of pain as it worsens over time and has the possibility of causing a heart attack. 
• Variant Angina: This type of angina is caused due to spasms in the arteries. It is also called prinzmetal angina. In this type, the signs and symptoms of angina are frequent. 

 Signs and Symptoms of Angina: 

• Chest Ache: One of the clearest among the signs and symptoms of angina is chest pain and discomfort. This pain feels tight or squeezing, there could be some sort of pressure or a burning sensation. Chest ache occurs just behind the breastbone and the pain may radiate to other parts of the body like the arms or shoulders, jaws, back, or neck. This radiating pain that stems from the chest ache is called referred pain. 
• Nausea and Fatigue: Another common one among the signs and symptoms of angina is nausea and fatigue. People experiencing angina may get a puking sensation and extreme weakness. While suffering from angina, the heart isn’t able to pump blood effectively and this leads to stress and weakness. 
• Sweating: Angina cardiac pain causes a lot of stress to the body. Sweating is the body’s natural response to stress and pain, and with angina, this stress can increase causing the body to sweat all the more profusely. 
• Shortness of Breath: Another common one of the signs and symptoms of angina is shortness of breath. People experiencing angina may get exhausted very quickly and have difficulty breathing because of inadequate oxygen supply. 

Natural Treatment Methods for Angina Pain: 

The primary method or way to curb angina pain is to deal with the progression of heart disease, and there are many ways to do that. Firstly, there are obvious medications that a patient has to be under. Then with that people are recommended to make lifestyle and dietary changes that help treat the disease. In addition to all these, some herbs can be used in angina pain treatment. Some of these are as follows. 

• Alfalfa: Juice of alfalfa grass is used for people with arterial and heart problems. Carrot juice and alfalfa mix are more nutritious and effective for heart problems and angina pain treatment.
• Amla/ Gooseberry: Amla tones up all the organs of the body, including the heart and thus it helps in improving the pumping action of the heart. 
• Snake gourd: The leaves of snake gourd have been used traditionally as a medicine for treating pain in the heart due to physical exertion. 
• Turmeric: Curcumin in turmeric is a chemical compound that is known to lower the amount of serum cholesterol and even the blood sugar level. 
• Arjuna tree bark: The bark of Arjuna tree is the most beneficial herb for angina pain treatment. It has been used traditionally for angina-related problems because of its stimulant properties on the heart. 
• Garlic: It is a known blood thinner so it can be beneficial for people with angina pain. 
• Peepal tree leaves: It is known to strengthen the heart and has been used effectively in angina pain treatment and other heart ailments. 
• Onion: Its consistent consumption is known to reduce serum cholesterol. It is also beneficial for decreasing thrombosis, that is the formation of blood clots inside the blood vessels of the heart chambers. 
• Til Pushpi Plant: It is used to treat heart disorders as it improves the muscle activity of the heart. 

Angina pain is a precursor to a heart attack. Understanding the symptoms can help you manage angina pain better and help make dietary changes in natural ways along with prescribed medications. Make better choices and live a better life!