In medical terms, it is referred to as angina pectoris
Angina is a chest pain that is mostly associated with a heart attack when the blood flow to the heart is compromised. It is a symptom of the coronary artery disease which needs to be spotted early so that the patient can get timely medical help.
In medical terms, it is referred to as angina pectoris and in common usage it is called angina or even sometimes tight chest pain. It is also referred to as ischemic chest pain.
Angina can either be a one-time pain or can recur even after treatment. Health experts say angina pain usually goes away quickly and medicine and lifestyle changes can help one control this condition.
How to spot angina?
It is difficult to distinguish between angina from the chest pains caused by indigestion or gastric. However, there are certain symptoms typical to angina which can help one spot this pain immediately.
The common symptoms of angina are:
a burning sensation
feeling of fullness
feeling of full pressure in the heart
a squeezing pressure on the heart
The chest pain associated with angina seems like a stabbing. This type of chest pain is not seen in other cases.
Another typical symptom of angina is the pain shoots to other body parts like arms, neck, shoulder and even the jaw.
Along with all these symptoms a person experiences dizziness, fatigue, breathing issues and sweats profusely during angina; these symptoms are not found in chest pains which happen due to indigestion.
Other symptoms of angina
Apart from the symptoms related to pain, there are several other signs of angina which can help one spot a possible heart attack. If the following signs occur without any reason, one should definitely see a doctor:
vomiting
upset stomach
pain behind breastbone
pain in the back
sudden pain in the throat
Types of angina
There are different types of angina:
Stable angina: This is the most common type of angina which is mostly caused due to stress or overdoing any physical activity. It usually goes away after one rests for a while.
Unstable angina: This is more serious than the stable angina. This occurs even when the person is not active. Health experts say this to be a signal of a forthcoming heart attack.
Variant angina: Also known as Prinzmetal angina, this form of angina is caused by a spasm in the heart arteries because of which there is temporary reduction in the flow of the blood. It recurs in an individual mostly at rest or during night.
Refractory angina: This occurs as a side effect of different medications and unhealthy lifestyle.
Microvascular angina: This commonly occurs in women and occurs mainly because the smallest coronary arteries do not function normally.
How long does an angina pain last?
Angina usually lasts for 3-5 minutes. However, episodes of unstable angina can last up to 15 minutes.
These pains can go away and come again. They can occur intermittently over several hours.
When is angina a risk to life?
Having angina does not necessarily mean that you will have a heart attack, but it definitely means that your heart is at risk.
When the heart is deprived of blood for long enough to stop functioning, angina can take the life. Due to the blockage when blood is unable to reach the heart sufficiently and deprives it of oxygen, the heart stops beating.