Chest pain or angina is one of the most common symptoms of coronary artery disease. It is usually described as chest pain on the left side, sometime extending down the left arm and up to the jaw. The chest pain frequently comes on with exertion and subsides with rest. It is important to know that angina can be experienced in many different ways: for example, at mealtimes, when exposed to cold weather and stress of all kinds; or as pain on the right side, back, and in the abdomen. Angina can mimic other conditions like reflux, peptic ulcer and gallbladder disease. In some patients, typically a diabetic, coronary artery disease can be silent. Other symptoms of coronary artery disease may include shortness of breath and fatigue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes angina?
Angina is caused by an insufficient blood supply to one or more regions of the heart. The most common cause is a blockage in a coronary artery. Infrequent causes are coronary artery spasm and blood clots. Angina is a warning from the heart that it is not getting a sufficient amount of oxygen.
How do I know that I am experiencing angina and not a heart attack?
Angina is usually brief in duration, less severe in intensity, and subsides with rest or with nitroglycerin. In contrast, the chest pain of a heart attack is severe and unrelenting. It may be associated with difficulty in breathing, sweating, light-headedness, and a sensation of doom.
Copyright 2009 NBC Health
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