Signs & Symptoms of Angina Pectoris
Angina pectoris is a medical condition that occurs when your heart receives a decreased amount of oxygenated blood. Often, this occurs due to deposits of cholesterol clogging the blood vessels that carry blood to your heart. Patients who have angina pectoris are at an risk for having a heart attack, reports the Mayo Clinic, making it important to recognize the symptoms of the condition.
Chest Pain
Chest pain behind the breastbone is the most common sign of angina pectoris. The discomfort may feel like pressure, squeezing, burning or tightness, reports the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. The chest pain is most common during exercise, physical work or sexual activity. Emotional stress, cold weather and nightmares may also trigger an attack of chest pain, explains Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Patients with severe angina pectoris may also develop the pain during rest without the presence of any stress. An episode of chest pain caused by angina pectoris may last from 5 to 30 minutes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Patients with milder forms of the condition tend to recover the most quickly.
Other Pain
In addition to chest pain, patients sometimes report feeling pressure, burning or tightness in the arms, shoulders, neck, jaw, throat or back, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Women are most likely to experience angina pain in other parts of the body. In some cases, you may also feel a general feeling of pain that you cannot determine the exact location of.
Gastrointestinal
Rather than feeling severe chest pain, you may experience angina pectoris discomfort that feels like indigestion, according to the Mayo Clinic. You may also feel nauseous or like you may vomit along with the other symptoms of angina pectoris like chest pain.
Respiratory
Shortness of breath is another possible symptom of angina pectoris, explains FamilyDoctor.org. You may feel as if you cannot take a full breath or catch your breath. It is also possible to pant or gasp due to the shortness of breath associated with angina.
Other Symptoms
Some patients do not experience pain from angina pectoris and instead describe the feeling as heaviness of the arms or shoulders, reports Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. If you do feel pain, you may also experience sweating, light-headedness, dizziness and faintness with an attack. A feeling of anxiety or impending doom may also occur with other symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. You may also have a general feeling of weakness or tiredness that persists throughout the day, or you may tire more easily when completing activities that once were easy and not strenuous.
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