Heart Stent Pain

Together with angioplasty, the use of stents or stenting is a common medical procedure performed on patients suffering from atherosclerosis, a disease marked by obstructed or narrowed blood vessels. Heart stent is classified into two major types, namely drug-eluting stent and bare-metal stent. Although it has been proven effective in many cases, its use has certain drawbacks and disadvantages, affecting mainly the upper, lower, left and right parts of the chest. To know more about heart stent pain, it is good to look at its symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatments.

Symptoms of Heart Stent Pain

Patients can experience sharp pain, dull feeling and tingling sensation when they are suffering from heart stent pain. The use of stenting and angioplasty is associated with risks, one of which is the redevelopment of blockages after implanting the stents. When this happens, patients can feel severe stabbing pain in the chest area. While undergoing these procedures, they also have a chance to experience heart attack. Aside from the shooting pain, undergoing these medical procedures can hurt patients and their families financially because they are highly expensive.

Causes of Heart Stent Pain

The reoccurrence of blockages in the arteries is a major cause of heart stent pain. When this happens, patients are expected to feel chronic pain, tightness and pressure in the chest. Furthermore, this chest pain is associated with heaviness and squeezing sensation. The lack of sufficient blood flow is another reason for the pain.

Heart Stent Pain Diagnosis

Doctors must perform a series of medical tests and exams to understand fully the causes and symptoms of this serious medical condition. A thorough physical examination is very important as well as the medical history of patients. It is also good to undergo an electrocardiogram in order to determine right away the possibility of heart attacks. A stress test can also help identify the possible causes of pain.

Performing chest x-rays on patients can also help physicians take a closer look at the heart and lungs, which can seriously contribute to this serious medical condition. It is also possible to perform other diagnostic procedures involving the heart such as coronary angiography, nuclear stress test as well as echocardiogram. Cardiac computerized tomography scans and blood tests are also available for heart disease patients.

Heart Stent Pain Relief

When the pain is caused by recurrent angina, patients can soothe their pain away using a variety of serious medications. These include the use of beta-blockers, nitrates and aspirin. It is also good for patients to take other available options like angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers as well as statins. For severe cases, it is possible for patients to undergo another round of angioplasty and stenting. Likewise, they can also have coronary artery bypass surgery.