Angina
The most common symptom of angina is a feeling of pain or discomfort in your chest. The pain can feel tight, dull or heavy.
The pain can spread from your chest to your left arm, neck, jaw and back. In some cases, the pain is similar to Indigestion .
Chest painmay also occur with:
Some peoplemay experience breathlessness without any obviouschest pain.
There are two types of angina, called stable and unstable angina. The symptoms of these two types are similar, but there are some important differences.
Attacks of stable anginausually occur when the heart is forced to work harder for example, during physical activity or emotional stress. In some cases, the pain can also develop after eating a meal or during cold weather. These are known as angina triggers. The symptoms of stable angina usually improve if you rest for a few minutes.
Unstable angina is more unpredictable. It can develop without any obvious triggers and can persist even when you're resting. Attacks of unstable angina may last longer thana fewminutes and don't always respond to treatments used for stable angina.
Dial 999 to request an ambulance if you experience chest painand you haven't previously been diagnosed with a heart problem.
If aspirin is easily available and you're not allergic to it, take one tablet while you are waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Chewable aspirinis best, because it works faster than other forms. Aspirin helps to prevent blood clots and reduces your risk of experiencing a heart attack or a stroke .
If you have an angina attack and you've previously been diagnosed with the condition, take the medication prescribed for you (called glyceryl trinitrate). A second dose can be taken after five minutes, if the first dose doesn't have any effect. If there's no improvement five minutes after the second dose, call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
Angina is chest pain that occurs when the blood supply to the muscles of the heart is restricted. It usually happens because the arteries supplying the heart become hardened and narrowed.
The most common symptom of angina is a feeling of pain or discomfort in your chest. The pain can feel tight, dull or heavy.
Angina is caused by narrowing and hardening of the main blood vessels going to the heart, which limits blood supply to this major organ.
If you see your GP after experiencing chest pain, they'll probably ask about the pattern of your symptoms for example, if you've noticed any particular triggers.
Treatment of angina aims to provide immediate relief from the symptoms, prevent future attacks, and reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Heart attacks and strokes are the most serious complications of angina. The stress of living with a long-term condition can also have an impact on your emotional health.
Having a healthy lifestyle with a healthy, balanced diet, taking regular exercise and avoiding smoking helps reduce your risk of angina.