When your blood flows to your heart, it must enter at a certain pressure for normal good health. When something reduces the flow of blood to your heart, you may experience angina. This is a specific type of pain in your chest associated with this reduced flow of blood. Without the proper amount of blood, your heart does not get the oxygen it needs. The Mayo Clinic reports that angina sufferers commonly describe angina pain as tightness, heaviness or pressure in their chests.
Stable Angina
When you are working, exercising, playing sports or performing other physical activities, your heart may not be getting the oxygen it needs because of the reduced flow of blood. Yet, you do not experience angina during times of inactivity. This is called stable angina. Like other forms of angina, it is caused in most cases by CAD or coronary artery disease. Plaques or deposits of fat clog the arteries of your heart, which reduce blood flow. This type of angina also may be triggered by emotional stress, smoking, heavy meals or cold temperatures in people with narrowed arteries.
Unstable Angina
This is a far more dangerous and life-threatening form of angina because it may happen suddenly and lead to heart attack. It occurs, the Mayo Clinic states, when the plaque inside your blood vessel ruptures or your blood clots inside the coronary arteries. This causes a sudden blockage of blood to your heart which triggers sharp angina pain. Typical medications for stable angina may not work for unstable angina. Emergency medical aid at your nearest hospital is required for this sudden problem.
Variant Angina
The least common form of this kind of pain in your chest is called variant angina or Prinzmetal's angina. It may occur because your heart artery suddenly spasms. This causes a temporary constriction of the artery. This, in turn, causes sudden angina.
