Ischemia is a medical situation where blood supply is inhibited. In cardiac ischemia, this limitation affects the heart muscle. Dyspnea may result where this situation is present.

Symptoms

In some cases, cardiac ischemia does not display any noticeable symptoms. If there are symptoms, as mentioned, dyspnea (shortness of breath) is a possibility. The patient may also have a type of chest pain known as angina pectoris. In the majority of patients with angina, the pain they feel is described more along the lines of discomfort. For instance, it might be thought of as pressure, tightness, or something else along those lines. There may also be a sensation of burning.

The feeling experienced in angina pectoris is not necessarily restricted to the chest, but can spread to other areas. The epigastric region is one other possible location of this pain. A couple of the other possible spots are the patient's shoulders and back.

Causes

The most common medical cause of cardiac ischemia is atherosclerosis. This is a condition where fatty things such as lipids build up, leading to thickening of the patient's arterial walls. Atherosclerosis itself often does not display any symptoms.

Diagnosis

Ischemic heart disease is a very common illness in Western nations. In many of those locations, it is the number one medical cause of death. However, it is frequently not diagnosed until someone has had a heart attack. In order to check a person for cardiac ischemia, a doctor may perform certain tests. One of these is using an electrocardiogram, which is shortened as ECG (some people also call it EKG). Some blood testing may be performed. Chest radiography is another possibility.

Treatment

The treatment given to patients with cardiac ischemia varies. This such as the symptoms that are being experienced may be taken into consideration. Discuss with a doctor rather than using the information found here, which is not professional in nature and only intended to be general. Medication and surgery are two options.