If the patient has never had these symptoms, can call the healthcare provider, especially if the patient is uncertain of the symptoms or what action to should take.

1. Do not delay calling a doctor. Do not "wait it out." To wait is to risk your life.
2. Emergency personnel are trained to recognize angina and to treat it rapidly and safely.

If the patient has had angina before, they may not need to seek medical care if the symptoms are the same as they always are.

• Follow the advise of a healthcare provider if the patient has already been evaluated and given guidance on how to respond to these symptoms.
• Rest, stress reduction, and sublingual nitroglycerin are common treatments.

If the patient has already experienced Angina, proceed to the nearest hospital emergency room if any of the following events occur:

• If the regular pattern of angina symptoms alters in any way, consult your doctor.
• If the symptoms are unusual or more severe than normal.
• If the symptoms appear when you are at rest or doing less exercise than usual
• If rest or sublingual nitroglycerin do not alleviate the discomfort.

Any of these situations may be a medical emergency and requires a visit to a hospital emergency department.

• Don't delay or try to "wait it out."
• Do not drive yourself to the hospital.
• Call for emergency medical transport

If a person believes they have risk factors for angina but no symptoms, they should contact a healthcare professional to schedule an office visit. . Don't wait for symptoms to occur.

Self-Care at Home

Stop doing whatever it is that causes the symptoms and call 911. Immediate help and intervention is the best chance for survival if someone is having a heart attack or other serious problem.

• Lie down in a comfortable position with the head up.
• Chew a regular adult aspirin or its equivalent (as long as the patient is not allergic to aspirin). Chewing more than one will not do any good and may cause unwanted side effects.

If the patient has had angina before and been evaluated by a healthcare provider, follow his or her recommendations.

• This may mean rest and the immediate use of sublingual nitroglycerin.
• It may include a visit to the hospital emergency department.

Follow-up

If a patient has stable angina, they will need to visit their healthcare provider on a regular basis to monitor angina episodes and assess if risk factors are being reduced.

The patient's healthcare professional will most likely test their heart function on a regular basis and evaluate the underlying condition. These tests will almost certainly involve the following:

• ECG
• Exercise tolerance tests
• Thallium stress test
• Repeat cardiac catheterization to determine whether the dilated artery or stent remains open and/or whether a surgical bypass graft remains open or closed. The main disadvantage of both angioplasty and surgery is that arteries, stents, and grafts restenose (occlude) with the same disease process of atherosclerosis. None of these treatments are permanent. The patient must be obsessive about correcting any risk factors, or they will return with the same blockages they had before.