Coronary Artery Disease is a blockage or narrowing of the coronary arteries mostly because of plaque buildup. Your coronary arteries are responsible for supplying oxygen-rich blood to your heart. Due to plaque buildup, the arteries limit the supply of blood that reaches your heart. Here, doctors from a super speciality hospital in South Kolkata discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatment of coronary artery disease.
Causes of Coronary Artery Disease
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque in arteries throughout the body. According to the doctors from a hospital in South Kolkata, when this plaque affects your arteries, it causes Coronary Artery Disease.
The plaque consists of waste products, cholesterol, and fibrin, a substance that makes your blood clot. As plaque starts collecting along the artery walls, your arteries become stiff and narrow.
Plaque can damage and clog the arteries, which stops and limits blood flow. When plaque builds up in coronary arteries, the heart muscles are unable to receive blood. As a result, your heart cannot get the essential nutrients and oxygen to function properly. This is known as myocardial ischemia and causes chest pain or discomfort (angina), which can lead to a heart attack.
People who have plaque buildup in coronary arteries have buildup in other parts of their body too. This can further result in peripheral artery disease and carotid artery disease.
Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease
As per doctors from a private hospital near Joka, these are the following symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease.
- Chest pain and discomfort (angina)
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations
- Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- Vomiting, nausea, and stomach discomfort
- Weakness
- Pain in the arms, shoulders, and back
- Heart racing
- Feeling flushed or hot
Treatments for Coronary Artery Disease
Medications
Medications can manage the symptoms of coronary artery disease, including low blood pressure, low cholesterol, and angina. Additionally, it can reduce the risk of blood clots.
Surgeries
- Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
This procedure is also referred to as coronary angioplasty. It is a minimally invasive procedure. Your doctor will reopen the blocked artery and help your blood to flow better. They can also insert a stent to help your artery remain open.
- Balloon angioplasty
It is a procedure that helps to open blocked or narrowed arteries. A balloon attached to a catheter is inserted in your artery. The doctor inflates the balloon in places where plaque deposits have narrowed the channel of the blood flow.
If there is no major blockage, it might be possible to fix the problem by inflating the balloon multiples. This will widen the passage and allow the blood to flow smoothly.
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
This surgery creates a new path for the blood to flow around the blockages. Hence, it restores the flow of blood to the heart. This surgery is suitable for patients suffering from severe blockages in their coronary arteries.
If you are experiencing the symptoms we have mentioned above, you can reach out to the top doctors from a super speciality hospital to know which treatment will be suitable for you.