Angina is chest pain or discomfort that happens when your heart isn’t receiving enough oxygen-rich blood. As a result, your heart may beat faster and harder to gain more blood, causing you noticeable pain. Angina isn’t a disease. It’s a symptom and a warning sign of heart disease. Angina (an-JIE-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) is a type of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is also called angina pectoris. Angina pain is often described as squeezing, pressure, heaviness, tightness or pain in the chest. It may feel like a heavy weight lying on the chest. Angina may be a new pain that needs to be checked by a health care provider, or recurring pain that goes away with treatment. Although angina is relatively common, it can still be hard to distinguish from other types of chest pain, such as the discomfort of indigestion. If you have unexplained chest pain, seek medical help right away.
There are different types of angina. The type depends on the cause and whether rest or medication relieve symptoms. • Stable angina. Stable angina is the most common form of angina. It usually happens during activity (exertion) and goes away with rest or angina medication. For example, pain that comes on when you're walking uphill or in the cold weather may be angina. Stable angina pain is predictable and usually similar to previous episodes of chest pain. The chest pain typically lasts a short time, perhaps five minutes or less. • Unstable angina (a medical emergency). Unstable angina is unpredictable and occurs at rest. Or the angina pain is worsening and occurs with less physical effort. It's typically severe and lasts longer than stable angina, maybe 20 minutes or longer. The pain doesn't go away with rest or the usual angina medications. If the blood flow doesn't improve, the heart is starved of oxygen and a heart attack occurs. Unstable angina is dangerous and requires emergency treatment. • Variant angina (Prinzmetal angina). Variant angina, also called Prinzmetal angina, isn't due to coronary artery disease. It's caused by a spasm in the heart's arteries that temporarily reduces blood flow. Severe chest pain is the main symptom of variant angina. It most often occurs in cycles, typically at rest and overnight. The pain may be relieved by angina medication. • Refractory angina. Angina episodes are frequent despite a combination of medications and lifestyle changes.
Lack of oxygen to your heart can cause other symptoms, known as “angina equivalents.” These are symptoms that you don’t feel in your chest, including: • Fatigue. • Nausea or vomiting. • Shortness of breath. • Sweating a lot.
Both angina and a heart attack are consequences of coronary artery disease. But angina doesn’t cause permanent damage to your heart. A heart attack does. That’s because angina signals a temporary reduction in blood flow to your heart. A heart attack causes a longer reduction in blood flow. During that time, part of your heart muscle begins to die. How can I prevent angina? You can help prevent angina by living a heart-healthy lifestyle. Take these steps for better heart health: • Avoid smoking and all tobacco products. Also, avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. • Eat a heart-healthy diet. The DASH Diet and the Mediterranean Diet are good options. Lower your intake of saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and sodium. • Find new ways to manage stress. Try meditation, yoga or talking with a counselor or friend. Journal writing is another way to process emotions and concerns. • Keep a weight that’s healthy for you. Ask your provider what you should aim for, and ask for advice on how to reach that goal. • Manage risk factors for coronary artery disease. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and diabetes. • Move around more. Try to exercise for at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) every week. Go for walks or find other activities you enjoy. Find a friend to join you. • Take medications prescribed by your cardiologist. Many of these medications have been shown to reduce or eliminate the anginal symptoms you have.
Chest pain appears in many forms, ranging from a sharp stab to a dull ache. Sometimes chest pain feels crushing or burning. In certain cases, the pain travels up the neck and into the jaw and then spreads to the back or down one or both arms. Many different problems can cause chest pain. The most life-threatening causes involve the heart or lungs. Because chest pain can be due to a serious problem, it's important to seek immediate medical help.
Chest pain can feel different depending on what's triggering the symptom. Often, the cause has nothing to do with the heart — though there's no easy way to tell without seeing a health care provider.
Chest pain is often associated with heart disease. But many people with heart disease say they have a mild discomfort that they wouldn't really call pain. Chest discomfort due to a heart attack or another heart problem may feel like: • Pressure, fullness, burning or tightness in the chest. • Crushing or searing pain that spreads to the back, neck, jaw, shoulders, and one or both arms. • Pain that lasts more than a few minutes, gets worse with activity, goes away and comes back, or varies in intensity. •Shortness of breath. •Cold sweats. •Dizziness, lightheadedness or weakness. •Racing heartbeats. • Nausea or vomiting.
It can be difficult to tell if chest pain is related to the heart or caused by something else. Usually, chest pain is less likely due to a heart problem if it happens with: • A sour taste or a sensation of food reentering the mouth • Trouble swallowing • Pain that gets better or worse when you change body position • Pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough • Tenderness when you push on your chest • Pain that continues for many hours
Chest pain has many possible causes, all of which need medical care. Heart-related causes Examples of heart-related causes of chest pain include: • Angina. This is chest pain caused by poor blood flow to the heart. This is often caused by the buildup of thick plaques on the inner walls of the arteries that carry blood to the heart. These plaques narrow the arteries and restrict the heart's blood supply, particularly during physical activity. • Heart attack. A heart attack results from blocked blood flow to the heart muscle, often from a blood clot. Angina can be the main symptom felt during a heart attack. • Aortic dissection. This life-threatening condition involves the main artery leading from the heart, called the aorta. If the inner layers of this blood vessel separate, blood is forced between the layers and can cause the aorta to rupture. • Inflammation of the sac around the heart, called pericarditis. This condition usually causes sharp pain that gets worse when breathing in or lying down.
Chest pain can be caused by disorders of the digestive system, including: •Heartburn. This is a painful, burning feeling behind the breastbone. It occurs when stomach acid washes up from the stomach into the tube that connects the throat to the stomach. That tube is called the esophagus. •Swallowing disorders. Problems with the esophagus can make swallowing difficult and even painful. •Gallbladder or pancreas problems. Gallstones or inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas can cause stomach pain that spreads to the chest.