Upplevelser av att leva med kärlkramp

Abstract

The present study is a qualitative description of personal experiences of living with angina pectoris and how it influences daily life. Nine patients, all belonging to a specific heart unit, were interviewed. The interviews were conducted and analyzed within a phenomenological approach. The participants were encouraged to describe freely what it was like for them to live with angina pectoris. All interviews were performed in the participants home. The subjective concequences of angina could be described as five themes of concern: Fear and anxiety, Fatigue and pain, Grief, astonishment and anger, Dependence and Hope and hopelessness. Since angina puts a limit on the possibilities for all types of physical activities it tends to affect the whole life situation. Chronic illness, physical incapacity and an increased existential awareness forced the participants into an insoluble circle where fear and anxiety were predominant.