Nursing NUR301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Coronary Circulation, Atherosclerosis, Spasm
Document Summary
Five different kinds of angina have been identified, with the two most common being stable angina and unstable angina. Stable angina occurs when the heart has to work harder than normal, during exercise, for example. It has a regular pattern, and if you already know that you have stable angina, you will be able to predict the pattern. Once you stop exercising, or take medication (usually nitroglycerin) the pain goes away, usually within a few minutes. Unstable angina is more serious, and may be a sign that a heart attack could happen soon. There is no predictable pattern to this kind of angina; it can just as easily occur during exercise as it can while you are resting. It should always be treated as an emergency. People with unstable angina are at increased risk for heart attacks, cardiac arrest, or severe cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat or abnormal heart rhythm).