A sudden pressure or a squeezing sensation in the chest could indicate a condition called angina. Angina is often regarded as a symptom of heart disease, as it occurs due to a blockage in the arteries and a limited amount of oxygen-rich blood being carried to the heart. A lot can be done to prevent angina. Doctors usually prescribe medications and suggest lifestyle changes to manage angina. If the symptoms of angina get severe, the patient may need to undergo surgery to instal a stent to help open up the blocked arteries.
Let’s review the causes, types and symptoms of angina to watch out for:
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1. Causes of angina
The most common cause of angina is the formation of plaque in the arteries. When plaque starts to form in a person’s arteries and block blood flow to the heart muscles, it can force the heart to function with minimal amounts of oxygen. This can result in chest pain or blood clots, putting a person at higher risk of a heart attack.
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2. Types of angina
Like many cardiovascular conditions, angina exists in different types, including the following:
- Stable angina is the most common form of angina, and can be triggered by stress or physical activity. This form of angina mostly lasts for a few minutes and goes away when the patient rests. While it may feel like a heart attack, it is only a sign that the patient may have one in the future. Individuals should consult a medical professional about this condition as soon as it occurs.
- Unstable angina occurs when an individual experiences chest pain for seemingly no reason, even when not exercising. The pain experienced in this condition can last for extended periods of time, and some patients have pain that comes and goes constantly. As soon as the patient starts experiencing this form of angina, they should inform a doctor, as it could be a warning sign of a heart attack.
- Variant angina, also known as Prinzmetal’s angina, is a rare form of this condition. It may occur at night when a patient is fast asleep. In this scenario, the arteries of the heart begin to narrow or tighten all of a sudden. The condition may cause a lot of pain, and the patient is advised to treat its cause as soon as possible.
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3. Angina symptoms
Angina occurs when the heart muscle doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood, resulting in pressure or squeezing causing chest pain. Patients with angina are most likely to feel the pain behind the breastbone, but pain can travel to the back, jaw, throat, neck, arms, and shoulders. Men mostly feel pain in the shoulders, neck and chest, while women typically feel it in the back, throat, jaw, neck, and belly. Other symptoms that both men and women face are dizziness, shortness of breath, and profuse sweating.
