In-between seasons 'Anxiousness'Attention If it feels like squeezing and stabbing, it's suspicious

Sep 13, 2024

In-between seasons 'Anxiousness'Attention If it feels like squeezing and stabbing, it's suspicious
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The change of seasons is coming soon. The temperature changes rapidly, so you should take care of your health.

A sudden rise or fall in temperature can put a strain on the cardiovascular system and may cause additional stress on the heart. Cold weather should be especially careful as it constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure, increasing the risk of angina or myocardial infarction.

According to an analysis of the recent status of heart disease treatment released by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 705,259 people visited the hospital with angina in 2022 alone. The number of patients has increased by 6.0% (annual average of 1.5%) over the past five years (2018-2022).

Angina pectoris is caused by insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle as the coronary artery, a blood vessel that supplies blood to the heart, narrows due to arteriosclerosis. When you stay still, your heart muscles work a lot, such as climbing stairs or walking with heavy luggage, and chest pain occurs.

Common known causes of angina include excessive exercise, excitement, and overeating. It is also caused by high blood pressure, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, obesity, old age, and genetic heart disease.

Kim Sang-gon, head of the cardiology department at Centum General Hospital, said "There is a more than 15-30% chance of cardiovascular disease within the next 10 years depending on risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking, so it is important to know whether you have these factors in advance through regular checkups."

Angina pectoris usually feels pain squeezing the chest as if it is going to stop breathing, and sometimes feels stinging symptoms such as stabbing the chest with a needle. I also feel the pressure or tightness of being pressed by something heavy, stiff, stuffy, and hot.

This symptom usually complains of pain in the left chest area, but often in the central part of the chest. There is a tightening pain in this area, and the degree of pain varies greatly. Pain can also occur in the left front chest, neck, and upper abdomen, and pain usually occurs for 2 to 5 minutes from water plants and may last for more than 20 minutes.

First of all, it is important to explain your symptoms in detail to a specialist in order to diagnose angina. Chest X-rays and electrocardiograms are essential, and exercise load electrocardiography, coronary CT, echocardiography, and coronary angiography are additionally performed for accurate diagnosis of heart stenosis.

If the degree is mild after diagnosis, it can be treated with medication, but if not, additional treatment such as procedures or surgery is required.

The procedure means 'corrhizal arthroplasty' that is, 'corrhizal stent implantation'. It is a method of inserting a tube into the coronary artery and expanding the blocked blood vessel area to balloons or stents through thin wires. Unlike surgery, general anesthesia is not required, the recovery period is short, and there are no scars, so it is the most preferred treatment for angina recently.

If angina is severe, 'Cavitary artery bypass' is performed, which is an operation that connects the aorta and coronary arteries by bypassing the narrowed area.

Manager Kim Sang-gon said "Most patients have been quietly raising their inherent risk factors for at least a few years ago. The first thing to do for the treatment and prevention of angina is to remove and treat risk factors that promote and worsen arteriosclerosis.'

Then "People who smoke should quit smoking, take medication if they have high blood pressure, and avoid eating animal fat if their cholesterol is high. In addition, even if you have obesity, you should relieve stress through regular exercise and rest, such as losing weight by reducing proper exercise and food intake.

To prevent and manage angina, aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, hiking, swimming, and training are good. The intensity of the exercise starts very weak, gradually increases the intensity, and then gradually decreases the intensity, and the time is about 20 to 30 minutes, and the frequency is appropriate three to four times a week.



In-between seasons 'Anxiousness'Attention If it feels like squeezing and stabbing, it's suspicious
Kim Sang-gon, Director of Cardiology at Centum General Hospital


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