What is the treatment for Coronary Artery Disease?

Introduction

Coronary artery disease is usually caused when there is some sort of obstruction inside the coronary artery, which prevents the proper flow of blood to the heart. Prolonged or complete obstruction can cause a heart attack or the complete stoppage of the heart.

One of the main causes of such an obstruction is damage to the artery, which leads to a build-up of plaque inside those crevices and wounds. When the plaque build-up increases in size, blood can’t flow through the vessel anymore. This condition is known as Atherosclerosis.

When asked “what is the treatment for coronary artery disease,” one has to turn to make changes in our daily habits. Most of the causes of this disease – high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and unhealthy eating habits- can be cured by changing our daily habits. However, sometimes special medical procedures are required, such as coronary bypass graft surgery or enhanced external counterpulsation.

Causes of coronary artery disease

The primary cause of coronary artery disease is Atherosclerosis or the accumulation of plaque within the blood vessel. Accumulated plaque is usually made of fats, cholesterol, or calcium, which are found in the blood. Over time, the plaque solidifies and restricts the flow of blood. . Atherosclerosis usually occurs in places where there is an unsteady flow of blood. 

Factors like hypertension and damage to blood vessels due to chemicals can also cause Atherosclerosis. Finding out these causes forms a great part in formulating what the treatment for coronary heart disease is.

Other causes of coronary artery disease include:

• Aneurysm: when a segment of the blood vessel gets abnormally dilated, reducing blood flow.
• Embolism: A segment of a blood clot that may have broken off and is now obstructing a blood vessel.
• Artery vasculitis: Inflammation of an artery
• A spontaneous artery dissection: This refers to when there is a rupture in the inner layers of the artery, and the blood gets into the layers of the artery instead of flowing through the main passageway.

Symptoms

The symptoms of coronary heart disease can be particularly hard to detect, for they can be confused with symptoms of heartburn or indigestion. Some of the symptoms are:

• Chest pain
• Pain in the shoulders or the arms
• Dizziness
• Profuse sweating
• Difficulty in breathing.
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Treatment

How is coronary heart disease treated? since there are a lot of different causes due to which this disease can occur, an extensive medical history of the patient is required, which determines for each patient what is the treatment for coronary artery disease.

The most common method is to reduce the risk factors like reducing high cholesterol or high blood pressure. This is done by providing medication and therapy. Receiving diabetes treatment may also be a part of this treatment.

Finding out the present condition of the patient’s heart is a big part of the treatment for coronary artery disease. To do this, test procedures like an Echocardiogram (where you obtain an ultrasound picture of the heart) or a heart CT scan (which helps in finding out calcium deposits in the arteries) are performed. This helps in finding out what to do, as the answer to the question “What is the treatment for coronary artery disease?” is different for different patients.

Lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of this disease include:

• Avoiding or quitting tobacco and cigarettes.
•  Avoiding alcohol consumption
• Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet.

In emergencies, of course, certain medical procedures are used to save the patient’s life. Some of these are:

• Balloon Angioplasty: A minute balloon-like device is inserted into the affected artery and inflated, opening up the passageway and breaking down plaque build-up. Oftentimes a device is kept inside to keep the passageway open after the procedure.
• Coronary bypass graft surgery: A part of the artery is removed, and fresh tissue is grafted into the artery to restore open blood flow. This is usually an open-heart surgery.
• Enhanced external counterpulsation: Pressure is applied to the limbs to gradually restore the arteries to normal condition. This method causes new blood vessels to form and redirect flow. It is a non-invasive procedure.

The detection and treatment of this disease are important, as one may go by without realizing they have the disease. Most people don’t know what is moderate non obstructive coronary artery disease is– A variant where the blood flow is not constricted too much, and thus, there are fewer symptoms. This makes detection difficult and regular check-ups more important.

Conclusion

Modern lifestyle brings with it countless problems, one of which is the multiplying of such diseases. We need to try to balance out our lives in such a way that maybe one day, this disease can be eradicated. Until then, we may but hope that the modern wonders of medicine will keep us safe.