Angina is chest pain or discomfort you feel when an area of your heart muscle is not getting enough blood. It is not a disease, but is a symptom letting you know your heart is having a problem.
Angina can feel like:
- burning
- pressure
- tightness
- indigestion
- squeezing pain
With angina, you may also experience shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back pain. Some have discomfort that is difficult describe or can’t explain where the pain is coming from.
Other symptoms may occur, such as:
- fatigue
- nausea
- sweating
- tiredness
- weakness
- light-headed
- shortness of breath
Women are more likely to feel their angina discomfort in their back, shoulders, and abdomen.
Angina is usually a symptom of the most common heart disease known as coronary artery disease. Symptoms vary based on the type of angina and the three types of angina are:
- stable angina
- variant angina
- unstable angina ~ most dangerous
Risk factors for CAD, as well as angina, include:
- high cholesterol
- cigarette smoking
- high blood pressure
- metabolic syndrome
- overweight or obesity
- metabolic syndrome
- lack of physical activity
- women over 55 years old
- insulin resistance or diabetes
- family history of early heart disease
Not all chest pain or discomfort is angina, but if you are experiencing chest pain that lasts longer than a few minutes and cannot get relief you need to seek medical attention right away.
