I need my exercise, seriously.

A health extract from

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2008/04/13/life/paquiao.that.crushing.feeling.html

A LOT of people just shrug off their shoulder and do not mind or take it seriously when sometimes they feel pain that is crushing, constricting, strangling sharp or burning.

How many times have I heard and witnessed people who just ignore these pains and say: “Oh, it’s just that I’m overworked on lack of rest.”

But don’t you know that these are symptoms indicating that something is wrong with your heart?

Heart doctors called these symptoms as angina. Angina is the heart’s way of saying that it is not getting enough blood in the arteries. Those veins that supply blood to the heart are overworked and therefore need more oxygen than usual.

The medical term “angina pectoris” as researched in the Internet means “a choking sensation of the chest.” Usually, angina is a crushing or constricting pain that starts in the center of the chest, deep behind the breastbone and may radiate to other parts of the body.

Sufferers have said it feels like an elephant is sitting on their chest or a vise gripping or squeezing their chest. Some people feel the pain of angina only in peripheral locations, such as the joint, abdomen, or arm.

The pain can also be confused with indigestion because the tight, burning sensations are similar. Angina can also be misinterpreted as a heart attack. The pain is similar, but does not last as long; usually no more than five minutes.

Angina affects millions of people around the world. It is more prevalent in people over 30 and tends to strike men more than women. Over age 65, however, more women are affected than men. Alone, angina causes no permanent damage because the heart is only temporarily deprived of oxygen.

But if your angina worsens, you should know that you are at a greater risk of heart attack. The main underlying cause of angina is coronary artery disease, which stems from atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, when the vessels become clogged or narrowed by fatty calcified deposits called plaques.

Certain risk factors for heart disease and coronary artery disease make the development of angina more likely.

These include high blood pressure, stress, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, diabetes, and family history of heart disease. All of these risk factors are also linked to atherosclerosis. If you experience pain that might be angina, your doctor will give a complete physical exam and various tests.

To those who have angina, it is worth mentioning the importance of an overall healthy lifestyle that includes proper diet, exercise, weight management and no smoking.