Treatment for angina

If you have angina, you may be given medicine to:

• treat an angina attack if you have one (glyceryl trinitrate)
• lower your chances of having an angina attack, such as beta blockers
• reduce your risk of having a stroke or heart attack, such as low-dose aspirin or statins

Sometimes you may be recommended to have surgery to increase the blood flow to your heart (coronary angioplasty or a coronary artery bypass).

Things you can do to help prevent angina attacks

If you have angina, there are things you can do to help symptoms or reduce the chance of attacks.

Do

• avoid things that trigger your angina attacks as much as possible, like stress, cold temperatures or eating large meals
• always have your angina medicine with you – use it as you have been told by your doctor
• try to quit smoking, if you smoke
• try to keep to a healthy weight
• eat a balanced diet
• have the most active lifestyle your symptoms will allow
• try to cut down on alcohol if you drink more than 14 units a week

NHS help to get healthy

NHS Better Health has free tools and support to help you lose weight, quit smoking, drink less and get active.

How angina affects your life

Having angina means you're at higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It's important to treat it and make healthy lifestyle changes to reduce this risk.

With treatment, the symptoms should improve over time and may eventually stop.

If your symptoms are well controlled, angina will not usually have a big impact on your life. You'll usually be able to continue with most things, including exercise and sex.

But angina may affect your work if you have a job that involves a lot of physical activity, or if you drive buses, coaches or lorries.

Your doctor will talk to you about any changes you may need to make, and whether you need to inform the DVLA about your condition.

It's also best to speak to your doctor before you take up a new activity or if you're worried about exercising.

You may also need to think about practical things like always carrying your angina medicine, having spare medicine available and making sure you have enough with you when travelling.