Let's say I have a friend who may be experiencing angina. Undiagnosed but symptoms include non-specific chest pain (central point near the sternum?) when exerting (walking or biking uphill).

Sounds predictable - not a one-off thing. Initially came and went - sometimes would happen when walking, sometimes not. Now it seems more regular. Breathing deeply seems to alleviate / prevent symptoms.

Could be something else (GERD, whatever). But if angina, could continued, regular exercise and a healthy diet improve symptoms? Build alternative blood vessels? Enlarge existing blood vessels? Or is this generally not expected and angioplasty / stent is the only eventual recourse?

If so, it sounds like the official diagnose would be straightforward. But for the actual procedure, are there specific things to look for in a doctor to do the procedure? Or is this so run of the mill, routine now that any board certified cardiologist would be okay?

Pain like that could also be from a hiatal hernia.

Thanks. Looked it up. Interesting. Someone mentioned, not here, that angina may be discomfort in the more upper left region of chest, vs the more central sternum area. Not sure - need to look into that more as well.

Good Lord

This is NOT something you want an Internet forum diagnosing

Chest pain like that is nothing to screw around with and needs to be checked out immediately by medical professionals.

^^^ Yup. A thousand times! And please, if you think you have angina, you don’t run out there and continue your daily exercises, unless you don’t want to live. Holy cow!

Thanks guys. Will definitely pass forward your direction to her.

Cardiologist not internet.

A stress test is in order.

If unable to complete the test the cardiologist may move to more advanced imaging or an intervention for possible stents.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 4MUL8R,

A warning based on personal family experience: if you or someone close to you is having chest pain, back pain, abdominal pain; if it’s severe and not quickly resolved—do NOT repeat NOT go to your family physician or an urgent care clinic. The place you need is an emergency department. That is the only way to get tests and treatments done very quickly and with medical—even surgical—backup if it’s necessary.

And how to get there? Lean toward calling 911 rather than driving someone in severe pain to an emergency room. If you try calling an advice nurse (if you have such a thing in your system) they will first of all give you a message: “If you think you are having a life-threatening emergency, call 911 to be taken to the nearest hospital emergency room.”

New onset of angina is considered “unstable angina” and is often followed by a heart attack within days without prompt intervention.

Once you heed the advice above, ruling out heart issues, you can consider what a relative had done for her GERD.

She had raised her headboard 6" with bricks. Essentially sleeping on an incline. It helped her a lot.

Thanks all. Appreciate the benefits of your expertise and experience.