Angina is a fancy word for chest pain and is a symptom of coronary artery disease. The two most common types of angina are stable angina and unstable angina. Stable angina is signified by chest pain brought on by exercise or exertion and is predictable and short in its duration. Unstable angina is unexpected, or is different than your predicted pattern of angina and may last up to 30 minutes or so and is often considered to hold more imminent danger than stable angina. Both stable and unstable angina may also produce nausea, vomiting and dizziness as well. Women who experience angina may not always follow this classic profile of symptoms; this can lead to undiagnosed angina and coronary heart disease, leaving women at risk.
Women's Symptoms
Classic symptoms of angina are chest pain--often described as vice like pressure or as someone standing on your chest, nausea, dizziness, fatigue and pain down the arm and across the back. You may also experience pain in the jaw or shortness of breath. Women may experience atypical symptoms such as chest pain that is a sharp, stabbing or even throbbing pain. Women may also have abdominal pain. Women are more likely to feel short of breath and have nausea as part of their symptom dynamic, as well. Women have also experienced angina with no chest pain at all. These differences between the way men and women experience angina--which is often a precursor to heart attack-- can lead to delays in treatment.
Danger Signs
Regardless of which symptoms you experience, if your angina does not subside within a few minutes with rest or by taking your prescribed angina medications--call your health care provider. Angina is caused by a decreased flow of blood to the heart muscle; this can be a sign of a heart attack and must be attended to immediately if it does not resolve quickly with medication or rest.
Heart Disease and Women
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) heart disease is the top killer of both men and women. Half of the deaths from heart disease were women. It is vitally important that women, and their families and loved ones, learn the list of "atypical" symptoms. Earlier detection of angina may result in fewer deaths from coronary artery disease for women.
