5 Conditions When You Should Consider Balloon Angioplasty

As we all know cardiovascular diseases remain one of the leading causes that take millions of lives every year.

However, there are several medical advancements have been introduced to combat cardiovascular conditions, and angioplasty is one of the procedures that has cardiovascular care that helps in improving the quality of life for people with heart diseases.

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patients in care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” –  Thomas Edison

What is Balloon Angioplasty?

Angioplasty is also known as balloon angioplasty or percutaneous coronary intervention PCI, a procedure to help widen the narrowed or blocked coronary arteries. Arteries help to supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle and when it gets blocked due to plague, causes complications.

Angioplasty helps widen the blocked or narrowed parts of the arteries that allow blood flow to the heart. The procedure involves a catheter with a balloon on its tip, which is inflated to widen the artery and restore the blood flow.

5 Conditions that Requires Balloon Angioplasty

Let's explore the five conditions why angioplasty surgery may be recommended:

1. Severe Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Coronary artery disease is a heart condition that is caused by plaque buildup in the wall of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. A plague is a form of cholesterol deposit that causes the inside of the arteries to narrow over time.

Causes 

• Overweight
• Physical inactivity
• Unhealthy eating
• Smoking tobacco 

Symptoms

• Chest pain and discomfort
• Weakness, light-headedness
• Nausea
• Cold sweat
• Pain and discomfort in the arms or shoulder
• Shortness of breath

Diagnosis 

• ECG or EKG (electrocardiogram)
• Echocardiogram
• Exercise stress test
• Chest X-ray
• Cardiac catheterization
• Coronary angiogram
• Coronary artery calcium scan

2. Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)

Acute coronary syndrome is a condition related to sudden reduced blood flow to the heart, causing heart attack and unstable angina. Heart attacks appear when cell death damages heart tissue, and apart from that unstable angina appears when blood flow to the heart decreases.

Causes

• Smoking
• Hypertension
• Diabetes,
• Hyperlipidemia
• Male sex
• Physical inactivity
• Family obesity
• Poor nutritional practices.

Symptoms

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Pain in body parts such as shoulders, arms, upper belly area, back, neck, or jaw.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Indigestion.
• Shortness of breath
• Sudden, heavy sweating.
• Racing heartbeat.
• Feeling lightheaded or dizzy.
• Fainting.
• Unusual fatigue.

Diagnosis

• Calcium-score screening heart scan.
• Cardiac catheterization.
• Coronary computed tomography angiogram.
• Coronary angiogram.
• Echocardiogram.
• Nuclear medicine imaging.

3. Coronary Artery Dissection

Coronary artery dissection is a rare but serious heart condition that appears when there is a tear in the inner lining of the artery, which creates a false passage for blood flow within the artery wall and affects the blood flow in the heart. It causes complications such as arrhythmias, heart attacks, or sudden death.

Causes 

• Extreme stress
• Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD).
• Genetic conditions affecting connective tissue
• Very high blood pressure
• Illegal drug use.

Symptoms 

• Chest pain or pressure.
• Shortness of breath.
• Sweating.
• Nausea and/or vomiting.
• Dizziness.
• Fast heartbeat.
• Pain in your jaw, arm, or shoulder.
• Extreme tiredness.

Diagnosis

Testing CAD includes:

• Coronary angiography: This is the first tool for diagnosis, which includes X-rays to check the blood vessels in the heart.
• Intracoronary Imaging: This technique is used when coronary angiography does not show the results.

4. Angina and Chronic Chest Pain

Angina or chronic chest pain is one of the common symptoms of underlying heart problems that often appear as recurring chest pain or discomfort which is caused by blood flow reduction to the heart muscle.

Causes 

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Tobacco smoking
• High cholesterol
• Obesity
• Coronary artery spasm
• Stress
• Common cold
• Family history of heart disease
• Heart failure
• Angina
• Exercise
• Older age
• Physical inactivity

Symptoms

Angina symptoms include chest pain and discomfort, and it can feel like:

• Burning.
• Fullness.
• Pressure.
• Squeezing.

Diagnosis 

• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Chest X-ray
• Blood Test
• Echocardiogram,
• Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography
• Invasive coronary angiography
• A provocation test

5. Peripheral and Carotid Artery Disease

When the blockage remains in the peripheral arteries of the legs it causes pain, change in skin color, difficulty walking, and sores or ulcers, when the blockage occurs in the carotid artery it causes a stroke.

Causes 

• Diabetes.
• Chronic kidney disease.
• Disorders that cause blood clots
• Fibromuscular dysplasia
• High blood pressure.
• Metabolic syndrome.
• Obesity.

Symptoms

• Sudden numbness or weakness 
• Sudden trouble speaking 
• Sudden trouble seeing 
• Sudden dizziness or loss of balance.
• Sudden, severe headache

Diagnosis

• Ultrasound
• CTA Computed tomography angiography
• Cerebral angiography
• Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)

Conclusion 

Balloon angioplasty is a procedure to treat damaged arteries, but somehow people don't recognize that they are suffering from any cardiovascular disease. So for that, there are conditions such as Severe Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), Coronary Artery Dissection, Peripheral and Carotid Artery Disease, Angina, and Chronic Chest Pain, that will help to diagnose the condition of the patient.