Angina, or chest pain, is caused by poor blood flow through the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. The three types of angina are stable, unstable and variant. Stable angina causes symptoms only with physical exertion. Unstable angina can cause symptoms with or without exertion. Finally, variant angina is caused by blood vessel spasms in the heart. Anyone experiencing the symptoms of angina should seek immediate medical attention.
Chest Pain
Chest pain is the classical symptom of angina, according to the Mayo Clinic. Patients with angina will likely experience tightness, pressure or a squeezing type of pain in the chest. Additionally, patients state that it can feel as if someone were standing on their chest. Women, however, may notice slightly different symptoms that include a stabbing, pulsating or sharp pain, states the Mayo Clinic. Chest pain occurs because heart tissue is dying due to a lack of blood flow. Anyone with new onset angina should seek emergency medical treatment. Patients with a history of angina should follow their doctor's orders in dealing with angina. These patients should seek immediate medical treatment if angina is worsening or does not resolve with rest.
Radiating Pain
According to Medline Plus of the National Institutes of Health, pain may radiate from the chest to the left arm, the back, jaw, neck or shoulder. Chest pain radiates because signals from dying heart muscles can get crossed in the nerves leading to the brain. The brain reads these signals as coming from other parts of the body. Radiating chest pain is a strong indicator of reduced blood flow to the heart.
Shortness of Breath
A patient with angina may also experience shortness of breath, states the Mayo Clinic. This occurs because the heart cannot effectively pump blood to the lungs to be re-oxygenated. Therefore, a patient will experience shortness of breath as his lungs attempt to provide oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. In this case, a patient with shortness of breath should seek immediate medical attention.
Anxiety
A patient with angina may experience symptoms of anxiety, according to the Mayo Clinic. These symptoms include fast heartbeat, sweating, or feelings of doom. This patient should seek immediate medical treatment because he may be having a heart attack. While waiting for treatment, he should try to remain as calm as possible and take slow deep breaths to help control anxiety symptoms.
