Recognizing early angina symptoms to know when to seek help

As it can be a warning sign of a heart attack, it is essential to know angina symptoms and to distinguish what is “normal” and when you should seek help. 

Angina attack: what is it? 

Angina, or chest pain, is not a disease. It is a symptom that comes and goes. This uncomfortable feeling occurs when arteries supplying blood to the heart become narrowed and restrict blood flow, resulting in the fact that your heart is not receiving enough oxygen-rich blood. Consequently, this one may beat faster and harder to gain more blood, causing you noticeable pain.  

There are common triggers for angina symptoms useful to know such as: 

• physical activity 

• emotional stress 

• cold weather 

• eating a meal. 

Even if it is not dangerous, angina symptoms 
can be a sign of heart problem, such as coronary heart disease. 

There are several types of anginas. Stable angina, or angina pectoris, is the most common type and is caused by coronary artery disease. It defines as the occurrence of angina symptoms with exertion only. Chronic stable angina affects approximately 30,000 to 40,000 people per million people in Western countries. Prevalence increases with age in both men and women. On the other hand, unstable angina symptoms occur at rest and requires more prompt evaluation and management.

 Angina: what does it feel like? 

Angina attack usually feels like pressure, tightness, burning or squeezing in your chest. This can feel painful or like a dull, heavy or vice-like central ache. Some people say it feels like indigestion. Others say it is hard to describe angina symptoms with words, as it can be difficult to tell exactly where the pain is coming from. 

If this discomfort is usually felt in your chest, it may spread to other parts of your upper body far from the source of the pain, as some people may also feel angina symptoms in their arms, shoulders, neck, stomach, back, belly or jaw. The discomfort usually begins behind your breastbone and grows more intense over a few minutes. 

Lack of oxygen to your heart can cause other symptoms, known as “angina equivalents.” These are angina symptoms that you don’t feel in your chest, including: 

• pain which may ease with rest 

• experience sudden and extreme tiredness 

• dizziness 

• sweating a lot 

• nausea or vomiting 

• feeling sick to the stomach 

• feeling anxious 

• light-headedness or fainting 

• heartburn 

• weakness 
• shortness of breath. 

Angina symptoms: is there a difference in the way men and women feel?

Even if they can experience the same ‘classic’ angina symptoms, this one can be different for women and men. It is more common for women to feel angina pain in the arms, neck, back, and jaw. Women also show more often other angina symptoms aside from chest pain, such as: 

• shortness of breath 

• nausea 

• light-headedness 

• feeling sick, sweaty, dizzy and breathless. 

Sometimes these are not recognized as symptoms of a heart condition and as a result can cause delays in treatment for women. 

Do angina symptoms differ according to the type of angina? 

Yes, there are differences between stable angina symptoms and unstable angina symptoms. In case of stable angina, you may feel: 

• pain that occurs during physical activity or mental stress 

• pattern of symptoms that has not changed in the last 2 months 

• pain that is relieved by rest or medicines 

• symptoms that go away within 5 minutes. 

However, in the case of unstable angina, the pain: 

• may last longer than 20 minutes or go away and then come back 

• may grow worse 

• is not relieved by rest 

• may appear during rest or sleep 

• may be intense 
• cannot be managed with medicines or other treatments. 

Early signs of angina attack: when to seek help? 

Many people can manage their angina symptoms by learning their triggers and knowing when to rest or take medication. But sometimes, angina can be a sign of a heart attack. Knowing when to call for emergency can save your life. 

Angina can be a warning sign of a heart attack, a life-threatening emergency that needs immediate medical attention. There is nothing you can do on your own to make it better. 

So, if you have unexpected or severe chest pain, call for emergency help right away.

It can be difficult to distinguish the difference between the angina symptoms and heart attack symptoms.  

Both angina and a heart attack are consequences of coronary artery disease. But angina does not cause permanent damage to your heart. A heart attack does. That is because angina symptoms signal a temporary reduction in blood flow to your heart. A heart attack causes a longer reduction in blood flow. During that time, part of your heart muscle begins to die. 

Another key difference is what makes the pain go away. Rest or medication causes stable angina to go away within a few minutes. However, if you are having a heart attack, rest or medication won’t ease your symptoms. 

Here are how to react if you experience angina symptoms: 

• if you have been diagnosed with angina and the pain subsides within 15 minutes after you have rested or taken medication, you should be able to go back to what you were doing. 

• if you have not been diagnosed with angina and you have chest pain that stops after a few minutes of resting, it is recommended to get an urgent doctor’s appointment.   

• if you feel angina symptoms that does not go away with rest or medicine, call immediately for help because you could be having a heart attack.   

• if you have been diagnosed with angina but it feels worse, happens more often, or has changed in any way, talk to your doctor as soon as you can.  

In all cases, stop what you are doing, sit down and make you comfortable. The best position is on the floor with your knees bent and your head and shoulders supported. You could place cushions behind you or under your knees. 

How to manage your angina symptoms?

Talk with your healthcare provider about how to manage angina attack in your daily life. They will offer advice based on the type of angina you have and what is causing it. Some general tips include: 

• Keep a log of your angina episodes to be shared with your provider: include the date and time, what it felt like, possible triggers, the pain level on a scale of 1 to 10. 

• Know when to call for emergency help. 

• Take medication as prescribed to treat your angina symptoms. 

• Try to avoid the triggers that lead to an angina attack. 

• Talk with your provider about which activities are safe for you based on your individual situation. Many people can continue their normal routine but should keep medicine with them in case of an angina attack. You may need to reduce heavy lifting or other strenuous tasks that could trigger angina symptoms.