What Are The Symptoms Of Angina?

The discomfort of angina is different in different people. Some people have angina when they overexert themselves, whereas others feel symptoms when they get very upset or excited. Most individuals eventually learn to anticipate which activities will cause distress.

Chest pain is the major symptom of angina. People who have angina often experience:

• Crushing pain,

• "Heaviness," or

• Tightness

in the middle of the chest.

It may feel as if someone is squeezing or pressing on the heart, or it may feel like a stabbing pain or numbness. The sensation:

• Ordinarily lasts from one to 10 minutes

• May spread to the left shoulder, arm, and hand or to the neck, throat, and jaw

Sometimes there are additional symptoms such as:

• Sweating

• Nausea

• Breathing difficulties

The features of a heart attack - which include chest pain, sweating, and nausea - resemble those of angina, although there are major differences between the two conditions.

Heart attack occurs when there is blockage of a coronary artery, and it may lead to permanent heart injury or death. In addition, heart attack lasts much longer than angina, and its symptoms generally continue even after a person rests.

Does chest pain always mean a heart problem?

Chest pain does not always mean that there is a problem with the heart. Other conditions can be confused with angina. For example:

• Anxiety and tension are common causes of sharp chest pain, especially in the area under the left breast. These sensations differ from those of angina, which seldom is concentrated in this region. Anxiety-related chest pain may be accompanied by tenderness or made worse by movement.

• Gallbladder disease or indigestion also can cause pain in the chest, although such pain is associated with food rather than exercise.

When is angina an emergency?

Usually there are specific signs that angina is very serious or, indeed, an emergency. Whether or not a person has stable or unstable angina, it is important to go to the hospital IMMEDIATELY if anginal pain or discomfort is:

• More severe than previously experienced

• Getting worse or lasting longer than 20 minutes

• Accompanied by weakness, nausea, or fainting

• Unchanged after taking three nitroglycerin tablets

• Happening at an unusual time (for example, during rest)

If ambulance service is not available locally, a person should be driven to the nearest hospital and should NOT attempt to drive there alone. The individual's family or friends should be made aware of the location and names of any angina medicines that are being used. They also should be familiar with warning signs of an anginal emergency.