Angina is chest pain or discomfort felt when the heart muscle doesn't get enough blood flow — and so not enough of the oxygen the blood carries.
How it can feel
- pressure or a squeezing pain in the chest;
- something like indigestion;
- pain in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back.
Why it happens
Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common heart disease. In CAD, a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply the heart, reducing blood flow.
Three types
| Type | When it happens | What helps | How serious |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stable | when the heart works harder than usual; follows a regular pattern | rest and medicines usually help | the most common type |
| Unstable | no pattern; can come on without exertion | does not go away with rest or medicine | the most dangerous — a sign a heart attack could come soon |
| Variant | at rest | medicines can help | rare |
Not all chest pain is angina — but if you have chest pain, see your health care provider.
Sources
Based on "Angina," MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, with its summary from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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