Angina is a symptom. It’s a pain or an uncomfortable feeling when blood flow to your heart is reduced. It's not dangerous but it can be a sign of heart problem, like coronary heart disease. It's usually felt in your chest. Some people feel the pain in their arm, neck, stomach,
back or jaw. Angina usually feels like pressure, tightness or squeezing in your chest. This can feel painful or like a dull ache. You might
also feel it in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, back or stomach. Other symptoms of angina can include:
If the pain does not stop after a few minutes’ rest, call 999 immediately because you could be having a heart attack. If your chest pain doesn’t stop after a few minutes’ rest, and one or two doses of your nitrate medication, you should call 999 immediately because this could be a heart attack. There are several types of angina including: This is the most common type of angina. It tends to happen when your heart works harder, such as when you’re walking uphill, and goes away when you rest. You’ll usually know when it’s likely to happen and the pain or discomfort is similar to what you’ve had before. Stable angina lasts five minutes or less, and improves if you rest or take your medication. Unstable anginaUnstable angina can feel different to your normal angina symptoms. It can happen even when you’re resting. Unstable angina feels more severe and lasts longer. Your symptoms might not improve when you rest or take medication. If your symptoms don’t improve when you rest of take medication, you should call 999 immediately. Vasospastic anginaAlso known as coronary artery spasm or Prinzmetal’s angina, Vasospastic angina is rare. It can happen during the night when you’re resting, when a coronary artery supplying blood and oxygen to your heart goes into spasm and narrows or tightens, and lets less blood through. Microvascular anginaMicrovascular angina (also known as cardiac syndrome X) usually happens when you're under physical pressure, like when you're exercising, or you’ve been stressed or anxious. The pain is often caused by spasms in the smallest coronary arteries restricting blood flow. Are angina symptoms the same for men and women?Both men and women can experience the same symptoms of angina. These include ‘classic’ chest pain, and pain in the jaw, neck, back or tummy. But in general, women are more likely than men to develop:
Knowing all the symptoms will help you get the treatment you need quickly. What causes angina?The most common cause is coronary heart disease. This is when the arteries that supply your heart muscle with blood and oxygen are narrowed by a fatty substance called plaque. It means less blood flows to your heart muscle and can cause angina symptoms. There are common triggers for angina pain, like:
The symptoms usually stop after a few minutes. Panic attacks or feeling anxious can cause chest pain . If you experience this, it isn’t angina. Anxiety isn’t caused by a problem with your blood flow, whereas angina is. Angina after eatingEating a big meal can trigger angina symptoms. Sometimes people confuse angina with indigestion. If meals are making your angina worse, try having smaller portions, more often throughout your day. What are the risk factors for angina?There are several risk factors that can increase your risk of coronary heart disease and angina. They include:
Is angina hereditary?No, angina is not an inherited condition. It won’t be found in a genetic test. But if your grandparents, parents, siblings or children have angina then you have what’s called a strong family history of the condition. This can increase your chance of developing a heart condition that could cause angina too. Find out more about family histories of heart conditions and how you can reduce your risk. Read about family history How is angina diagnosed?Your doctor may be able to tell whether you have angina from your symptoms. Or, they may want to do a health check or send you for some tests such as an ECG, coronary angiogram or heart scan. What’s the treatment for angina?
Can I cure my angina?Your doctor will prescribe you medication that will improve symptoms and help your heart to function better. But a change in lifestyle will help prevent more fatty substance called plaque forming in your arteries and improve your symptoms of angina. Try our lifestyle tips to see some improvements:
Everyday life with anginaMany people with angina have a good quality of life and continue as usual. Living an active lifestyle is also really important to help stop your underlying coronary heart disease from getting worse. Your doctor or nurse can tell you if you need to make any changes to your routine and make specific lifestyle changes. You can trust our health informationWe've followed an eight-step process to make sure this content is reliable, accurate and trustworthy. Learn how we make our health information reliable and easy to understand. Page last reviewed: January 2022 Angina bookletThis booklet is for people with angina, and for their friends and family. It explains what angina is, what causes it, how angina is diagnosed, and what can be done to treat the condition. It also explains what to do if you experience angina, or if you think you may be having a heart attack. Order or download now This booklet is also available to download in large print, and in Welsh Researching chest painYour donations are funding BHF Professor Andrew Baker. He leads a team of scientists aiming turn discoveries made in the lab into life saving treatments for people with angina. Donate now Which classes of drugs are used in the treatment of angina pectoris select all that apply?Treatment options. Aspirin. Aspirin and other anti-platelet medications reduce the ability of your blood to clot, making it easier for blood to flow through narrowed heart arteries.. Nitrates. ... . Beta blockers. ... . Statins. ... . Calcium channel blockers. ... . Ranolazine (Ranexa).. Which intervention is recommended for a patient with angina who is going to engage?Sublingual nitroglycerin — Sublingual (under the tongue) nitroglycerin (NTG) is usually recommended to treat sudden attacks of angina and to prevent angina while engaging in activities that typically trigger angina, such as mowing the lawn, playing sports, or walking up a hill (especially in the cold).
What are the important teaching points for patients receiving antianginal nitrates?Instruct patients to avoid eating or smoking during administration as this may alter absorption. Patients should sit during administration to decrease the risk for injury due to the possibility of hypotension, dizziness, and weakness.
Which indication is correct for the use of calcium channel blockers?Cardiovascular indications include hypertension, coronary spasm, angina pectoris, supraventricular dysrhythmias, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and pulmonary hypertension. In addition to these, they are also prescribed for Raynaud phenomenon, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and migraine headaches.
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