Angina is a symptom triggered by a lack of blood supply to the heart. Usually, doctors look at angina in terms of finding blockages in the main heart arteries, followed by treatments including drugs, stents or bypass surgery. However, nearly half of all coronary angiograms do not reveal any blockages in blood vessels.
Microvascular angina.
It causes chest pain with no coronary artery blockage. The pain is caused by from poor function of tiny blood vessels that lead to the heart, arms, and legs. It is more common in women.
When a coronary artery is at least 60 – 70 % blocked and stable, most commonly angina is brought on by physical activity or stress or emotional stress which leads to myocardial ischemia.
Angina may present, however, some clinical features which may suggest the presence of normal coronary arteries, including a prolonged (> 10 minutes) duration or a dull persistence after effort interruption, and an inconstant or slow response to sublingual nitrates.
Angina is a symptom. It's a pain or an uncomfortable feeling when blood flow to your heart is reduced. It's not dangerous but it can be a sign of heart problem, like coronary heart disease.
They can also occur with little to no stress or activity. Sometimes, unstable angina is triggered by blood clots. If the angina continues for more than 20 minutes, the health risks increase significantly.
Stable angina
Usually lasts 5 minutes; rarely more than 15 minutes. Triggered by physical activity, emotional stress, heavy meals, extreme cold or hot weather. Relieved within 5 minutes by rest, nitroglycerin or both. Pain in the chest that may spread to the jaw, neck, arms, back or other areas.
Sometimes, however, true angina can occur in the absence of typical CAD. 2 Sometimes patients who are experiencing angina with apparently “normal” coronary arteries actually do have a cardiac problem that needs to be diagnosed and treated.
Angina is temporary chest pain or discomfort that happens when your heart doesn't get enough blood and oxygen. Angina can be a symptom of coronary heart disease. If angina symptoms continue for more than 10 minutes, are severe or getting worse, call Triple Zero (000) immediately for an ambulance.
In most people, noncardiac chest pain is actually related to a problem with their esophagus, most often gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Stress, anxiety and depression can also manifest as chronic chest pain.
If your symptoms are well controlled and you make healthy lifestyle changes, you can usually have a normal life with angina.
Angina is most common in adults age 60 and older.
Minor symptoms of heart blockage include irregular or skipped heartbeats, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Other symptoms may include pain or numbness in the legs or arms, as well as neck or throat pain.
You may have tests to check if you have angina and assess your risk of more serious problems like heart attacks or stroke. You may have: an electrocardiogram (ECG) – a test to check your heart's rhythm and electrical activity.
An ECG Can Recognize the Signs of Blocked Arteries. But for further accurecy a CT coronary angiogram can reveal plaque buildup and identify blockages in the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack.
You are having angina when you are sitting (rest angina) You are feeling tired more often. You are feeling faint or lightheaded. Your heart is beating very slowly (less than 60 beats a minute) or very fast (more than 120 beats a minute), or it is not steady (regular)
Anything that causes your heart muscle to need more blood or oxygen supply can result in angina. Risk factors include physical activity, emotional stress, extreme cold and heat, heavy meals, drinking excessive alcohol, and cigarette smoking.
It can be challenging to distinguish between angina and an anxiety attack, especially because emotional distress can also increase the amount of oxygen the heart requires and trigger angina.
Blood tests check the level of cardiac troponins. Troponin levels can help doctors tell unstable angina from heart attacks. Your doctor may also check levels of certain fats, cholesterol, sugar, and proteins in your blood. Chest X-ray looks for lung disorders and other causes of chest pain not related to heart disease.
Angina explained
As cholesterol plaque enlarges over the years, it blocks blood flow, depriving the heart muscle tissue of vital oxygen. Angina can persist for years, serving as an ongoing reminder that you have heart disease and signalling a higher risk of having a heart attack.
Regular exercise improves your body's ability to take in and use oxygen, which means you can do daily activities more easily and feel less tired. It can also help reduce your angina symptoms (like chest pain and shortness of breath) by encouraging your body to use a network of tiny blood vessels that supply your heart.
Angina is chest pain or discomfort caused when your heart muscle doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood. It may feel like pressure or squeezing in your chest. The discomfort also can occur in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, abdomen or back.