Heart blockage, or coronary artery disease known also as CAD, is caused by atherosclerotic plaques that fill the coronary artery and impede blood flow to the heart muscle. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 13 million people have a history of coronary artery disease and it is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. There are several ways to treat heart blockage.
Lifestyle Changes
Patients with CAD can benefit from lifestyle changes that prevent the further development of disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet is helpful. This diet is low in salt and includes fruits and vegetables. It decreases saturated fat and cholesterol intake, thereby reducing further buildup of plaques. Daily exercise increases the level of beneficial, or HDL, cholesterol which removes the LDL or "bad" cholesterol from the body. Quitting smoking can help to lower blood pressure and stop the constant vasoconstriction or narrowing of the coronary arteries that occurs with exposure to nicotine.
Medications
Decreasing the stickiness of the platelets so that they don't form artery-blocking clots can be accomplished with medication such as a daily aspirin or a prescription medicine. Nitroglycerin placed under the tongue when chest pain occurs can dilate the coronary arteries so that blood flow returns to the heart. The Cleveland Clinic recommends beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and nitrates as the best medicines to prevent chest pain.
Angioplasty and Bypass Surgery
Angioplasty with stenting is a procedure that is done to compress the plaques against the artery so blood flow is improved. A small wire with a balloon at the end of it is inserted into the groin artery and threaded through the blood vessels until it reaches the coronary arteries. Once inside the coronary artery, the balloon is inflated and the plaques are flattened against the artery wall. Subsequently, a stent is placed to keep the artery open.
Coronary artery bypass surgery is performed when the coronary vessels are severely diseased, according to the MayoClinic.com. This involves harvesting a vein from the leg or other extremity and using it as conduit to "bypass" the blockages in the heart vessels. Bypass surgery is a major surgery and usually requires the opening of the chest in order to access the heart. This surgery is typically reserved for severe blockages.
