Angina is chest pain caused by a decrease in blood to the heart muscle. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, approximately 7 million people in the United States have angina. Many affected by angina complain about feelings of pressure or a squeezing sensation in their chest. Coronary artery disease, obesity, diabetes and smoking are all risk factors for angina. There are three major types of angina: stable, unstable and variant. Each type of angina has different symptoms associated with it.
Stable Angina
Stable angina is the most common form of angina and the most common symptom in stable angina is chest pain. The pain begins after exercise or other stress placed on the body. The pain location is typically behind the sternum in the left rib area. The pain feels like a vice grip with a crushing, squeezing sensation. The pain may eventually spread to additional areas of the body, including the left arm, neck, left shoulder, back and jaw. The pain lasts for 15 minutes or less and nitroglycerin tablets relieve the pain.
Additional symptoms of stable angina include feeling short of breath, dizzy, heart palpitations, nausea, indigestion and a cold sweat. These symptoms may also mimic other serious medical conditions, such as a heart attack, so medical attention is necessary for new symptoms of angina or for angina that is not relieved with the nitroglycerin. The pain will reoccur often when any exertion is placed on the heart. According to Medline Plus, individuals experience angina most often in the morning hours.
Unstable Angina
Unstable angina has the same general symptoms of stable angina, including a gripping pain in the chest, arm, shoulder, neck, back and jaw. Unlike stable angina, unstable angina does not go away after taking nitroglycerin or after periods of rest.
Stable angina can become unstable. Symptoms of stable angina becoming unstable include the duration of pain lasting longer than normal and the angina occurring at different times of the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, stable angina becoming unstable may be a sign of an imminent heart attack. Unstable angina is a medical emergency and needs immediate evaluation.
Variant Angina
Variant angina is also referred to as Prinzmetal's angina. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, this form of angina is rare. The symptoms of variant angina occur while at rest, not on exertion like with stable angina. Although the pain may feel more severe than with stable angina, it is normally relieved by nitroglycerin. The typical time for variant angina to occur is in the middle of the night until the early morning hours.
