Chest Pain (Angina)
Chest pain, or angina in medical terms, is another high blood pressure symptom, particularly pulmonary hypertension. This disease impairs the arteries that deliver blood to the lungs, leading to chest pain.
Angina is a condition experienced when the heart muscle lacks oxygen-rich blood. As a result, the pain or discomfort isn’t limited to the chest but can also affect the neck, shoulders, arms, back, abdomen, or jaw.
Moreover, some individuals with angina experience additional symptoms like fatigue or shortness of breath, but without pain. It’s important to note that angina isn’t a disease, but a sign of a heart condition, most commonly coronary heart disease. This health condition is also called coronary artery disease.
Angina typically occurs when a single or multiple coronary arteries become constricted or obstructed, a condition known as ischemia. Several types of angina exist, such as microvascular, stable, unstable, and angina due to coronary arteries’ spasms.
If angina is high blood pressure related, the latter should be treated to relieve angina. A person experiencing prolonged chest pain should rest for a while or use prescribed angina medications because it could indicate a heart attack. Consulting a health care provider to diagnose suitable treatment is essential.
