Angina pectoris is severe pain, sometimes described as crushing, which is manifested as a pressure or suffocating feeling just behind the breastbone. This pressure is caused by a lack of oxygen to the heart and is the result of coronary heart disease. Over time, one or more of the arteries leading to the heart becomes narrowed or blocked, causing ischemia, or insufficient blood supply. This condition is also simply called angina. More than nine million people in the United States suffer from angina pectoris.
Angina pectoris is typically experienced in the symptoms of uncomfortable pressure, which feels like squeezing or pain in the center of the chest. You may also feel it in the neck, jaw, shoulder, back, arm, or stomach, including nausea. It has been described as a tight or heavy feeling in the chest, or sometimes as pressure, squeezing, or burning. It can feel very difficult to breath, as though you are short of breath and unable to fill your lungs completely. These symptoms can be accompanied by numbness or tingling in the shoulders, arms, or wrists. However, just because you have these symptoms does not mean you have angina. You could have pericarditis, the inflammation of the sac around the heart. It might be something very serious, such as an aortic dissection, in which the inner layers of the aorta separate, causing you pain. It might be a coronary spasm, in which the blood vessels to the heart spasm and constrict the blood flow momentarily. You may even be having a heart attack, so these painful symptoms should be evaluated by your doctor immediately. Even some non-heart related conditions can cause angina, such as heartburn, panic attacks, pleurisy (an inflammation of the chest membrane), esophageal spasms (in which the esophagus spasms causing food to back up), or simple sort muscles from improper stretching, or from conditions such as fibromyalgia. You may also have a lung infection or inflammation.
Angina, the feeling of pain or pressure, occurs when the heart needs more blood to bring it oxygen, so strenuous activity might trigger it. Running or walking quickly, carrying groceries, a rush of strong emotions, lifting something heavy, eating too much, having sex, or even extremes in temperatures, might trigger an attack. In some people, angina is caused by a condition known as coronary artery spasm, and in those cases you might feel pain or pressure even when you are resting.
There are two different types of angina pectoris. There’s stable angina, and in these cases, the angina is usually predictable and you can expect to have symptoms in consistent situations (every time you run, every time you get angry, etc). Unstable angina means that the pain takes you by surprise, and can occur when you are at rest. With unstable angina, the chest pain can be more severe and prolonged than with stable angina. Both of these conditions can be caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscles because of blockage by fatty build-ups. This blockage is called arterioschlerosis.
Angina is a serious sign that someone is at high risk for a heart attack, which can lead to cardiac arrest and death. If you have episodes of chest pain or pressure, you should see your doctor for an evaluation as soon as possible; it might be an indicator of a very serious condition. This is true especially for those with unstable angina; a new or unexpected pain should be treated as an emergency. The doctor will take a medical history and evaluate your risk factors, then will give you a physical exam. They will also order a blood test and chest X-ray and take an ECG, or electrocardiogram. Some people will be required to take a stress test to discern how the heart acts under exertion. Other treatments might include putting in a heart catheter or doing a coronary angiogram.
People with angina are at increased risk for heart attacks, arrhythmias (heartbeat irregularities), and cardiac arrest, which is the stopping of the heart leading to death. Again, it is important to stress that angina is a sign of heart disease. But heart disease can be treated in several different ways. Your doctor might prescribe nitroglycerin. This medication comes in small tablets that you put under your tongue to dissolve. Nitroglycerin can also be taken as a spray, capsule, skin patches, or ointment. It is not habit-forming. If the blockage of the arteries that causes the angina is very serious, you might also have to undergo angioplasty, in which a tiny balloon is inserted into the blocked arteries and the plaque is pressed backward, allowing more room for blood to flow to the heart. Another possible surgery is coronary bypass, in which blood vessels are rerouted to bypass a blocked artery, in order to get blood more easily to the heart.
Unlike some diseases, however, angina can be stopped before it even gets started. It is quite preventable, but even if you haven’t prevented it, you can reduce it through some basic lifestyle changes. First, stop smoking. Smokers have more than double the risk of heart attacks and strokes than non-smokers, and heavy smokers have more than twice the risk of light smokers. Adopt healthier eating habits; avoid trans fats, saturated fats, cholesterol, and salt. A healthier diet will also help you control your blood pressure and overall cholesterol levels. Another overlooked lifestyle change concerns stress; can you relax, even when life is challenging? Learn to breathe deeply to keep oxygen flowing, which is necessary both to your heart and your feeling of well-being.
While it’s true that making good lifestyle choices can go far in preventing the heart disease that angina signals, it’s also true that some people are just prone to it because of their family history. Make sure to tell your doctor if anyone in your family has had heart disease, or a heart attack or stroke. This information will help your doctor decide when and how to treat your angina.
Find out more by viewing the Human Anatomy page:
Autonomic nervous system
Circulatory system
Medication commonly used for these disease:
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Lopressor is often used in the treatment of chest pain and hypertension. It is also used both in the treatment of and the prevention of heart attacks. Lopressor is a beta blocker which relaxes the blood vessels and assists the circulation of blood. Lopres more...
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Inderal is commonly used in the treatment of angina (chest pain), tremors, hypertension, disorders relating to heart rhythm, and other diseases and disorders relating to the heart and circulation. Inderal is generically prescribed as propranolol and is a more...
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Verapamil is the generic version of several medications. It can be prescribed as Calan, Calan SR, Covera-HS, Isoptin, Isoptin SR, Verelan, and Verelan PM when using a brand name prescription. Verepamil is a member of the family of medications known as cal more...
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Norvasc, which is generically prescribed as almodipine, is commonly used to treat hypertension and angina. Norvasc is a member of the family of drugs known as calcium channel blockers, and it works by relaxing and opening the veins and arteries in order t more...
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Lotrel is an ACE inhibitor (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) which is commonly used in the treatment of hypertension. Lotrel can be prescribed in its generic form, amlodipine and benazepril, which in conjunction work to relax the blood vessels and more...
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Mevacor is generically prescribed as pravastatin, and prescribed as the brand name drug, Altocor. Mevacor is designed as a low density lipoprotein reducer while also reducing total cholesterol in the blood stream. Heart disease, hardening of the arteries, more...
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Pravachol is also prescribed under the generic name of pravastatin. Pravachol prevents the body from absorbing a percentage of cholesterol taken into the body. Known as a cholesterol lowering medication, it can reduce the total cholesterol in the body. Lo more...
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Tenormin is a beta blocker that can be generically prescribed as atenolol. It affects the body by creating a better environment for circulation which provides less strain on the heart. Most often, this medication is prescribed when treating angina or hype more...
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Adalat is often used in its generic form, nifedipine, and is a member of the family of medications known as calcium channel blockers. Adalat is commonly used to treat chest pain and hypertension, as well as some other heart conditions. Calcium channel blo more...
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Adalat SR can be generically prescribed as nifedipine. Adalat SR is used in the treatment of hypertension and angina, as it opens and relaxes tight blood vessels creating less work for the heart to pump the blood sufficiently to meet the body’s needs. Pat more...
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