Heart disease treatments vary from one patient to another. They depend upon the type and intensity of the problem the patient is facing. If you know that you are at risk or if you already have had a heart attack before, you must take great care. Here is a brief rundown on the different treatment options available.
General Treatment Measures
If you are unsure whether or not you have a heart problem, you must seek immediate help. The general treatment measures include pain medicines (such as, meperidine or morphine), Nitroglycerin under the tongue, and oxygen through a tube in the nose or face mask (if needed). Aspirin is also given to such patients, but if they have allergy to aspirin, the doctor may prescribe clopidogrel. In some cases, clot-dissolving medicines are also given. The objective is to protect the cardiac muscle from further injury and open the blocked arteries. Any delay in treatment may have a serious outcome, which can even include a stroke. If you do not get the treatment in time or you keep ignoring your chest pain for more than six hours, even these drugs may not be able to help you.
Coronary Balloon Angioplasty And Emergency Coronary Angiography
These types of heart disease treatments can be very effective in relieving blockage in a coronary artery. However, it is important for you to understand that these facilities are not available in every hospital. Only hospitals equipped with a full-service cardiac catheterization laboratory provide these treatment options for cardiac patients. In this method, the doctor inserts catheter (a long, thin tube with a tiny, elongated balloon at the tip) in an artery in the arm or groin. The balloon is threaded over a hair-thin guide wire into the narrowed coronary artery. The plaque and clot that are blocking the artery are pushed aside with the help of the catheter balloon (in inflated form), which eventually allows the blood to flow more freely. The catheter is then removed after deflating the balloon.
Stenting
Stenting is often used just after the balloon angioplasty. This method involves insertion of a small, springlike device (known as stent) into a coronary artery. After the balloon clears the blockage, it is removed and then stent is positioned at that place. The objective is to hold the artery open and prevent it from narrowing again. In fact, angioplasty alone is not a very effective treatment unless a stent is used after that. Sometimes, depending upon the specific condition of the patient, doctor may choose to perform stenting only.
Sometimes, even coronary angiography and stenting do not prove to be very effective, especially when the plaque is too rigid, calcified, and bulky to be treated with balloon angioplasty. Atherectomy is used as one of the most common heart disease treatments in that case. In this method, a drill-like rotary blade is used to cut the plaque and remove it. These days, laser technology is also used for this purpose. Besides all this, in cases where cardiac catheterization in the patient reveals extensive coronary artery disease, he/she may have to undergo coronary bypass surgery.