coronary artery disease (CAD), can be difficult to
accept and understand. If you do not have symptoms, it may be especially hard
to recognize that CAD is a serious disease that can lead to complications.
Coronary artery disease is caused by the gradual buildup of plaque on the
inside of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply oxygen-rich
blood to heart muscle.
It is important to talk with your doctor to learn about the disease
and what you can do to help manage CAD and prevent its progression.
Making healthy lifestyle changes can delay and possibly reverse the
course of CAD. Quitting smoking, eating a low-fat and low-cholesterol diet, and
getting regular exercise are the most important steps you can take to reduce
your risk of developing coronary artery disease.26 For
more information, see:
-
Exercising for a healthy heart.
For more information on how to make healthy lifestyle changes, see
the Prevention section of this topic.
Most people are able to control
angina by taking medications as prescribed and
nitroglycerin when needed. See
how
to use nitroglycerin pills under the tongue. Remaining as active as
possible is important for most people. However, if angina is not controlled by
the above, consider these tips:
- If an activity causes angina, slow it
down.
- Ease into activities in the morning, and reduce activity
immediately after meals.
- Change your eating patterns. Eat smaller,
more frequent meals rather than 2 or 3 large meals.
When angina is more severe and cannot be controlled, the following
tips may be useful:
- If it is feasible, it may help to move to a
different home to avoid physical stress caused by climbing stairs, shoveling
snow, or mowing lawns. Or, find other ways to get chores done, such as hired
help, family members, or trading for other services that are easier to
do.
- It may be necessary to change the kind of work you perform to
avoid physical stress. This may be especially important if your work involves
heavy labor.
Taking nitroglycerin before an activity may reduce or eliminate the
chest pain associated with the activity. Discuss with your doctor the use of
nitroglycerin to prevent chest pain.
Do not use the erection-enhancing medication
sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), or tadalafil (Cialis) if you are
taking nitroglycerin or other nitrates. Combined, these two drugs can result in
a life-threatening drop in blood pressure. If you are taking an
erection-enhancing medication and develop chest pain, be sure to alert the
health professionals caring for you about your use of this medication so that
they do not generic prices viagra
give you nitroglycerin or another type of nitrate.
There are other oral blindness causing citrate sildenafil medicines that may be generic viagra usa.
Alert your doctor immediately if there is a sudden change in your
angina symptoms or if angina begins to occur cialis medication sample viagra
or when you are at
rest.
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