Emergency situations with angina pectoris symptoms | Symptoms of angina pectoris

Emergency situations with angina pectoris symptoms

If a new angina pectoris symptomatology occurs, this is an emergency! In this case an emergency doctor must be called immediately, as this is a life-threatening situation. Until the arrival of the ambulance, an attempt should be made to calm the person affected.

At first, the symptoms of angina pectoris are treated and not the causative heart attack, so that the heart can be supplied with oxygen again. The heart attack itself is then treated in hospital. But: not every angina pectoris attack is a heart attack!

Especially with stable angina pectoris, which occurs mainly in stressful situations, there is no permanent undersupply of the heart muscle. As soon as the exertion is over, the vessels are again sufficient to supply the heart with sufficient oxygen. Unstable angina pectoris, on the other hand, is more often a sign of an infarction. More on this topic: Signs of a heart attack.

Differential diagnoses

If angina pectoris symptoms occur for the first time, most people first think of a heart attack. However, it can also be a ruptured aortic dissection. The aorta consists of three layers.

It is mainly the innermost layer that can become loose, creating a false cavity (so-called aortic dissection). If this cavity, which is continually filled by the constant flow of blood, tears, this is called a ruptured aortic dissection. Just like a heart attack, this is a life-threatening disease which can also trigger the symptoms of angina pectoris.

However, this type of symptomatology does not necessarily imply a life-threatening disease. In some patients, the close proximity of heart and stomach, which are only separated from each other by the diaphragm, can also lead to angina pectoris symptoms due to inflammation of the stomach (gastritis). For all these causes, it is important to examine the patient as thoroughly as possible in order to rule out a life-threatening disease.

Procedure for angina pectoris

A so-called 12-channel electrocardiogram (12-lead ECG) is often written during an attack of angina pectoris. In addition, patients are usually given medication that reduces anxiety and pain so that the stressed body can come to rest. If the affected person knows that his or her form of angina pectoris is the stable form, there is no need to visit the hospital, as the symptoms usually improve of their own accord as the stress level decreases. .