1 You'll need to avoid strenuous activities, but you may be able to continue normal daily activities, such as going to work. 2  Talk to your doctor about an appropriate level of activity for you. 3  Follow a balanced diet.
Nitroglycerin works by causing your veins to expand or dilate, known as venodilation. It also works on dilating the coronary arteries, contributing to the relief of angina.
In patients with angina, nitroglycerin preferentially dilates blood vessels that supply the areas of the heart where there is not enough blood flow and oxygen thereby delivering oxygen to the heart muscle that needs it most.