Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease develops when the arteries providing your heart with blood get too narrow. Tyler Internal Medicine Associates P.A.’s cardiovascular specialists at offices in Tyler and Lindale, Texas, have extensive experience diagnosing and treating coronary artery disease. They address the underlying cause and provide chronic care management to prevent your condition from causing a heart attack. Call Tyler Internal Medicine Associates P.A. or use the online booking tool to arrange a coronary artery disease evaluation today.

Is coronary artery disease a serious threat to me?

Coronary artery disease affects the arteries supplying blood to your heart. A cholesterol build-up in your blood forms plaque, which sticks to the inner artery walls. The arteries narrow and can also harden (atherosclerosis), reducing blood flow.

You could suffer a heart attack if the arteries get too narrow or blocked. Atherosclerosis also causes carotid artery disease, which can trigger a stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, which can restrict blood flow in your legs and feet.

What symptoms does coronary artery disease cause?

In the early stages, coronary artery disease causes few, if any, symptoms. As the condition worsens, you might experience:

Chest pain (angina)

Angina feels like intense, painful pressure in your chest and may spread into your neck, arm, or back. The pain typically lasts for a brief period and improves with rest.

Shortness of breath

If your body isn’t getting enough oxygen from your blood, you could become uncomfortably short of breath and tire easily.

Heart attack

Heart attacks cause a crushing sensation in your chest, pain that radiates into your shoulder or arm, nausea and vomiting, and excessive sweating. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, you should call 911 immediately.

How do I find out if I’ve got coronary artery disease?

The experts at Tyler Internal Medicine Associates P.A. have extensive experience diagnosing coronary artery disease and can understand what’s wrong from your initial consultation.

The symptoms you’re experiencing, your medical history, your lifestyle, and listening to your heart through a stethoscope can all provide valuable clues to your condition. Your provider can also do a resting electrocardiogram (EKG) to look at the electrical activity in your heart.

To confirm a diagnosis of coronary artery disease and assess the severity of your heart problem, your provider can arrange further tests, such as:

• Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)
• Stress testing
• Heart MRI
• Angiogram

Lipid profile tests to measure cholesterol and triglycerides can also help detect raised levels indicating atherosclerosis.

What can I do if I have coronary artery disease?

Your personalized coronary artery disease treatment plan may include:

• Changing to a heart-healthy diet
• Managed exercise
• Smoking cessation
• Weight loss
• Medications

Drugs that can help with coronary artery disease include blood pressure pills, anticoagulants to improve blood flow, and statins to lower cholesterol.

Call Tyler Internal Medicine Associates P.A. to arrange a coronary artery disease evaluation or book an appointment online today.