Angina

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• Angina facts
• What are the signs and symptoms of angina?
• What are the types of angina?
• What causes angina?
• What are the risk factors angina and atherosclerosis?
• When to seek medical care for angina
• Which specialties of doctors treat angina?
• How is angina diagnosed?
• Can I care for my angina at home?
• What is the medical treatment for angina?
• What medications treat angina?
• What about surgery for angina?
• Do I need to follow-up with my doctor after being diagnosed with angina?
• Can angina be prevented?
• What is the outlook for a person with angina?
• What support groups or counseling are available for someone with angina and their family?
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• If you are having pain or pressure in the middle of your chest, left neck, left shoulder, or left arm, go immediately to the nearest hospital emergency department. Do not drive yourself. Call 911 for emergency transport.
• Angina or angina pectoris, is the medical term used to describe the temporary chest discomfort that occurs when the heart is not getting enough blood. When the heart does not get enough blood, it can no longer function at its full capacity.
• When a person with angina eats, physically exerts themselves, or experiences strong emotions or extreme temperatures it increases the demand on the heart causing angina.
• Signs and symptoms of angina are temporary pain, pressure, fullness, or squeezing in the center of the chest or in the neck, shoulder, jaw, upper arm, or upper back.
• The discomfort of angina is temporary, meaning a few seconds or minutes, not lasting hours or all day.
• An episode of angina can be relieved by removing the stressor and/or taking sublingual (under the tongue) nitroglycerin.
• An episode of angina is not a heart attack; however, having angina does means you have an increased risk of having a heart attack. Angina can be a helpful warning sign if it makes a person seek timely medical help and avoid a heart attack.
• Prolonged or unchecked angina can lead to a heart attack or increase the risk of having a heart rhythm abnormality. Either of those could lead to sudden death.
• Time is very important in angina. The more time the heart is deprived of adequate blood flow (ischemia), and thus oxygen, the more the heart muscle is at risk of heart attack or heart rhythm abnormalities. The longer the person experiences chest pain from angina, the more the heart muscle is at risk of dying or malfunctioning.
• If chest pain is severe and/or recurrent, the person should see a health-care professional.
• Go to a hospital emergency department if the affected person has any of the following with chest pain:
• Sweating,
• Weakness,
• Faintness,
• Numbness or tingling, or
• Nausea
• Pain that does not go away after a few minutes
• Pain that is of concern in any way
• Not all chest pain is angina. Pain in the chest can come from a number of causes, which range from not serious to very serious. For example, chest pain can be caused by
  • acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD),
  • upper respiratory infection,
  • asthma, or
  • sore muscles and ligaments in the chest (chest wall pain).

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