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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
MI or Angina?
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
MI or Angina?
by Mark-B, May 05, 1998 12:00AM
How do you know if you having an angina attack or an MI? I know that
angina a symptom "telling" you that you have atherosclerotic lesions within
you myocardium, but how could an individual distinguish between an MI and an
angina attack? Obviously a person has no way of finding out what their
enzyme levels are within the heart unless they get it checked invasively.
This is in no way convenient when you are experiencing this pain......
can you help?
Thanks
MB
Doctor's Answer
by CCF Cardio MD-SGM, May 05, 1998 12:00AM
-
Dear Mark,
As you know, an MI, or myocardial infarction, describes a situation where the heart muscle is irreversibly damaged due to lack of sufficient blood (and thus oxygen) supply. Angina is a common symptom that is often perceived during episodes of insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle. However, a patient can experience many brief bouts of angina without suffering an MI. Basically, it takes prolonged angina to deprive the heart muscle of oxygen for a sufficient time to cause the irreversible injury.
Since you're asking this type of question, I'm assuming that you experience angina, perhaps frequently, and want to know when this is serious enough to call for medical attention. The recommendations for this are very clear. Individuals who have no history of angina should seek prompt medical attention at the first warning sign of a possible MI. This includes angina(chest pressure, heaviness, radiation to jaw or left arm), as well as multiple other symptoms that might be associated with cardiac ischemia. Please consult the American Heart Association web page (www.amhrt.org) for more on the presenting symptoms and signs of coronary disease/myocardial infarction.
Patients who have known, stable coronary disease and regular angina should seek medical attention if the angina is not relieved promptly by usual therapies. For example, if the angina persists following three sublingual nitroglycerine pills (one every 3-5 minutes), then this would be a reason to seek medical attention. This sort of exacerbation of anginal symptoms is called "unstable angina". Such an increase in frequency or duration of symptoms might herald an MI. However, as you note, there is no way for the patient to know that permanent myocardial damage is taking place. Regrettably, the blood tests we have to document heart damage (MI) are retrospective in nature. They signify that damage has taken place, but often do so after the fact. A thorough medical examination, electrocardiogram, and time can help to establish whether an MI is presently occuring.
Thus, I would recommend that you carefully discuss with your doctor the warning signs that should prompt you to seek medical attention. I have mentioned several of these above, but this list is not comprehensive. Best of luck. Information in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only. Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your physician.
Dear Mark,
As you know, an MI, or myocardial infarction, describes a situation where the heart muscle is irreversibly damaged due to lack of sufficient blood (and thus oxygen) supply. Angina is a common symptom that is often perceived during episodes of insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle. However, a patient can experience many brief bouts of angina without suffering an MI. Basically, it takes prolonged angina to deprive the heart muscle of oxygen for a sufficient time to cause the irreversible injury.
Since you're asking this type of question, I'm assuming that you experience angina, perhaps frequently, and want to know when this is serious enough to call for medical attention. The recommendations for this are very clear. Individuals who have no history of angina should seek prompt medical attention at the first warning sign of a possible MI. This includes angina(chest pressure, heaviness, radiation to jaw or left arm), as well as multiple other symptoms that might be associated with cardiac ischemia. Please consult the American Heart Association web page (www.amhrt.org) for more on the presenting symptoms and signs of coronary disease/myocardial infarction.
Patients who have known, stable coronary disease and regular angina should seek medical attention if the angina is not relieved promptly by usual therapies. For example, if the angina persists following three sublingual nitroglycerine pills (one every 3-5 minutes), then this would be a reason to seek medical attention. This sort of exacerbation of anginal symptoms is called "unstable angina". Such an increase in frequency or duration of symptoms might herald an MI. However, as you note, there is no way for the patient to know that permanent myocardial damage is taking place. Regrettably, the blood tests we have to document heart damage (MI) are retrospective in nature. They signify that damage has taken place, but often do so after the fact. A thorough medical examination, electrocardiogram, and time can help to establish whether an MI is presently occuring.
Thus, I would recommend that you carefully discuss with your doctor the warning signs that should prompt you to seek medical attention. I have mentioned several of these above, but this list is not comprehensive. Best of luck. Information in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only. Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your physician.
