Brigitte : For about a month now and then I have had weird sensations in my chest. I think it’s the stress, but I’d rather tell you about it anyway, doctor…
Dr. Dominique Pierrat: Why are you particularly stressed at the moment?
Bridget: Not bad, yes, we talk about restructuring in my box, and I wonder where it will lead us…
Dr. Dominique Pierrat: But these “weird sensations”, as you say, is it new? Have you never felt this before?
Bridget: Not at all. That’s why it worries me a bit…
Dr. Dominique Pierrat:What does it look like? Is it more of an annoyance or a pain?
Bridget: It hurts me a little, as if it squeezed me a little inside.
Dr. Dominique Pierrat: Have you noticed the circumstances in which this occurs?
Bridget: When I walk for a while. I’m a good walker, yet I belong to a hiking club that organizes outings once a month. Last Sunday, it took me on the climb…
Dr. Dominique Pierrat: What did you do at that time?
Bridget: I stopped and the pain disappeared. So I resumed walking slowly. But I was not calm…
Dr. Dominique Pierrat: You didn’t feel anything else? No irradiation in the arms, in the back, in the jaws?
Bridget: Why, you think it may be the heart? My dad had this when he had his heart attack…
Dr. Dominique Pierrat: Yes, what you are describing reminds me of a heart problem, not necessarily a heart attack, rather angina pectoris.
Bridget: What’s this ?
Dr. Dominique Pierrat: This is a temporary poor irrigation of the heart. At the time of effort, as is the case when climbing a small path, the arteries that feed the heart allow less blood to pass, while the need for oxygen increases. Hence the discomfort we feel…
Bridget: But then, could it be serious?
Dr. Dominique Pierrat: We are going to do what is necessary so that it does not become so, precisely. I’m already going to check your blood pressure, listen to your heart. And we’re going to schedule a blood test and an electrocardiogram. You smoke ?
Bridget: I am a former smoker. Now it’s over. It’s been ten years since I quit.
Dr. Dominique Pierrat: Fortunately ! Because you know very well that it is very bad for the coronaries. Especially when there is a family history. I propose to see you again in a few days with the results of your exams. In the meantime, I’m giving you a prescription for trinitrine. This is a spray that dilates the vessels of the heart. In case of pain, you spray under the tongue, and it should pass quickly… Anyway, we’ll see you again very soon to take stock.
What is angina pectoris?Angina pectoris, or angina, is due to a decrease in blood supply to the heart due to narrowed coronary arteries. It is usually triggered by exertion. There are many contributing causes. Tobacco, excess cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle abuse the vessels which tend to clog and spasm. Treatment involves correcting risk factors and taking a treatment that promotes arterial dilation in the event of a crisis. Regular medical supervision is necessary to prevent the risk of heart attack. |
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