Angina is a specific type of chest pain that occurs when there isn’t enough blood flowing to your heart. This happens when the arteries or blood vessels have blockages or constrictions that prevent the proper flow of blood through your body. Typically, narrowed or blocked arteries are caused by atherosclerosis.
Angina can be a sign of a heart attack, but there are people who have angina episodes due to cardiovascular disease that are not related to a heart attack or cardiac event. Anyone with an angina diagnosis should see a cardiologist to treat any underlying causes and receive treatment that can provide relief.
How do I know if my chest pain is angina?
Chest pain can have many causes, from acid reflux to anxiety to cardiovascular disease. Because chest pain can be a sign of serious health conditions, it’s important to talk with your doctor about tightness, pressure or burning in your chest so that they can recommend the right diagnostic testing to determine the cause.
Recognizing Angina: What Does it Feel Like?
Angina is often described as a tightness, pressure, squeezing or burning sensation in the chest. It can also radiate to the jaw, neck, left arm or back. Because chest pain can have many causes, ranging from heartburn to anxiety, it’s essential to see your doctor to determine the cause of your chest pain.
Is my chest pain a sign of a heart attack?
A heart attack is a medical emergency. A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart is abruptly and completely blocked, causing damage to the heart muscle.
If you suspect you or a loved one may be having a heart attack, you should call 911. If you are having a heart attack, you may experience some or all these symptoms:
- Chest pain, pressure, tightness or squeezing, often felt going to jaw, neck or left arm
- Chest discomfort associated with sweating or nausea ,vomiting or lightheadedness
- Abrupt onset of shortness of breath
Women often have nontraditional signs of heart attack that may be more subtle, rather than dramatic. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should still call 911 or go to the emergency room.
Types of angina
As noted above, chest pain may onset abruptly because of a cardiac event, like a heart attack. Most often, however, it also may be a chronic issue and not a sign of an emergency. The only way to know what type of angina you have is to undergo diagnostic testing and see a cardiologist.
- Stable angina: The most common form of angina, stable angina usually onsets after physical exertion, such as walking uphill, running or breathing in cold air and is relieved by rest or medication (like nitroglycerin). The pain is predictable and usually follows a pattern. Stable angina goes away with rest or medication.
- Unstable angina: This type of angina is unpredictable and severe. It onsets suddenly and does not go away with rest or medication. Unstable angina is a medical emergency and requires emergency treatment.
- Refractory angina: Patients with refractory angina have recurrent and lasting chest pain that is not controlled by traditional methods: medicine, heart surgery or stent placement. Our Center for Complex Coronary Disease offers specialized treatment options and care for patients living with refractory angina.
- Microvascular angina: More common in women, microvascular angina can occur when there is no sign of blocked or narrowed arteries. The tiny blood vessels near the coronary arteries don’t function correctly, causing the heart to receive less blood. This creates the feeling of angina, but the typical heart tests and diagnostics may not reveal any underlying cause. Diagnosing microvascular angina requires specialized testing, which Georgia Heart Institute offers through our Women’s Heart Center.
- Variant angina: This type of angina is caused not by an underlying cardiovascular issue, but rather a sudden spasm in the heart’s arteries. Variant angina may be more common in individuals who have migraine headache or Raynaud’s syndrome, or those who use drugs like cocaine.
Treatment for Angina
The treatment plan for angina depends on the underlying causes and the severity of your condition.
- Lifestyle changes: Conservative treatment may include making lifestyle changes to improve the underlying causes of angina. This may include adapting your diet, quitting smoking and exercising more. Learn more about heart-healthy lifestyle habits.
- Medication: You may be put on medication to manage underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. You also may be prescribed medication like nitroglycerin to treat the angina itself. Aspirin may also help by making it easier for blood to flow through narrowed arteries.
- Angioplasty and stenting: A minimally invasive procedure, angioplasty and stent placement is done by threading a tiny catheter into a vein. It can help open up a blocked or narrowed artery, restoring the flow of blood through the body. Georgia Heart Institute offers specialized expertise in catheter-based procedures.
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG): For more severe blockages, your cardiologist may recommend a heart bypass. Here at Georgia Heart Institute, in partnership with the cardiovascular surgeons at NGPG, we offer minimally invasive robotic heart bypass surgery. This means less pain, less bleeding and reduced recovery time for patients who need this surgery.
- Complex PCI: For individuals who are experiencing refractory angina, but may not be candidates for heart bypass surgery or stenting, we offer a specialized and advanced treatment options through our Center for Complex Coronary Disease.
