We are living in an era of health-consciousness when lots of people are focused on their diet and exercise regimen. Nevertheless, many people continue to enjoy fast food and make regular use of food ordering apps. The COVID-19 situation, meanwhile, makes it more likely that people forget to take care of themselves properly and illnesses may arrive consequently. One such condition is coronary artery disease.

The tell-tale sign of this condition is pain or tightness in the left chest which corresponds to the location of the heart. Anyone who experiences this should immediately consult a doctor as it’s pointing up a condition that is life-threatening. If you haven’t reached that stage and want to make sure you don’t, then the following information should interest you.

 

Getting to know coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease is caused by hardening of the arteries supplying the heart muscle. Plaque builds up in the artery walls, whether as an accumulation of fat, tissue, or limestone caused by the deterioration of calcium in the body. This causes blood vessels to narrow and get blocked leading to insufficient red blood vessel flow for what the heart needs. This leads to myocardial ischemia which in turn causes pain in the left chest. If there is a lot of narrowing or obstruction, such adverse conditions may arise as acute myocardial infarction which can lead to complications and may be life-threatening.

                  There are essentially two types of coronary artery disease. One is acute coronary syndrome which has a high mortality rate and is easily noticed in the form of chest pain which occurs even without exercise. Another type is chronic angina which has recurrent symptoms and is directly related to exercise.

In cases where there is throbbing pain in the chest as if something is pressing on it, or pain under the sternum that may radiate to the neck, shoulders, and arms, along with easily feeling fatigued, shortness of breath, tightness and discomfort in the lungs, dizziness and fainting, these are indications of high risk of coronary artery disease and one should immediately see a doctor for diagnosis and timely treatment.

 

Risk factors for coronary artery disease

Both controllable and uncontrollable risk factors are associated with coronary artery disease. Controllable risk factors include being overweight (with BMI over 23 kg per sqm), obesity, high blood pressure (maximum intravascular pressure equal to or greater than 140/90 mm Hg), hyperglycemia (sugar level greater than 99 mg/dL after 8 hours of fasting), dyslipidemia (cholesterol level greater than 200 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood or triglycerides value more than 150 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood). These factors can be controlled by changing our behavior and/or taking medication.

There are also a number of factors that can be avoided or taken care of by yourself such as by eating at least 400g of fruit and vegetables a day, drinking at least 2-3 liters of water a day, not over-eating, avoiding high fat foods such as bacon and crispy pork, avoiding spicy and salty foods, abstaining from caffeinated beverages such as coffee and certain soft drinks, refraining from smoking and exercising regularly appropriate to your physical condition.

Unavoidable factors include getting older which automatically comes with a degree of deterioration of blood vessels. Another unavoidable factor is gender: males are more likely to get this disease than pre-menopausal females. Those with a family history of coronary artery disease are also at higher risk of getting it themselves.

 

Preventing coronary artery disease

The way to prevent corona artery disease is to reduce controllable risk factors. This includes keeping your body in a state of balance by eating healthy food, exercising regularly, refraining from things that have an adverse effect on the body such as smoking and stress, relaxing your mind with things you enjoy, and being optimistic and happy with life.

 

Self-care for coronary artery disease patients

Those who do develop coronary artery disease should strictly follow medical advice as it can’t be cured. The best way is to maintain a good quality of life, including taking care of our health according to guidelines recommended by a doctor for our particular condition. Above all, keep up with your scheduled doctor appointments so the doctor can closely monitor you.

Good health is priceless, so everyone should pay attention to maintaining it. We should regularly monitor our condition and if we spot any abnormalities, get medical advice and treatment promptly.

In case of emergency, immediately call 1669 for an ambulance.

Customers of Krungthai-AXA Life Insurance, please visit https://www.krungthai-axa.co.th/th/HealthServices for more details about health services.

 

References

·       Bumrungrad Hospital
https://www.bumrungrad.com/th/conditions/coronary-artery-disease
https://bit.ly/35rdfph

·       Bangkok Hospital
https://www.bangkokhearthospital.com/content/coronary-artery-disease

·       Samitivej Hospital
https://bit.ly/3pAU1UX
https://bit.ly/3ijDBwh

·       Phyathai Hospital
https://bit.ly/3ihLEty
https://bit.ly/3NbkQcL