Chest pain is one of the more frightening medical symptoms a person can experience. It immediately brings to mind heart attacks and sudden death. However, not all chest pain is a heart attack. Angina is a relatively common condition which causes chest pain. It is most often caused by atherosclerotic heart disease, and is considered to be a risk factor for developing a heart attack in the future.
As your heart beats, it requires a constant supply of blood and oxygen. This blood and oxygen is supplied through a series of highly specialized vessels known as the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries wrap around the entire structure of the heart, feeding it the necessary nutrients it needs to continue beating. In some people, these vessels become blocked with deposits of cholesterol plaques. When this happens, the oxygenated blood is no longer able to feed the heart tissues. This leads to a pain known as angina.
There are actually two types of angina, referred to as stable and unstable angina. Technically, there is a third type of angina, but it is rare and I will leave it out of this discussion. Stable angina refers to pain which is only experienced when a person is exerting themself – such as when they are walking, climbing stairs, or otherwise doing some sort of activity. Unstable angina occurs even when a person is at rest. Unstable angina is considered to be a more serious form of the disease and carries a greater risk of heart attack.
What can precipitate or relieve an angina attack?
Stable angina occurs when a person is active. The pain will subside with rest. A person experiencing an attack of stable angina will often prefer to sit upright rather than lay down. The specific amount of activity which is required to precipitate an attack of angina varies from person to person with the severity of the disease. An attack of angina is more likely after a person has eaten a meal, when they are cold, or when they are excited or stressed. Not surprisingly, sexual activity can also precipitate an attack of angina.
What exactly does anginal pain feel like?
Not all chest pain is the same. The pattern of pain seen in angina has a very specific pattern. Oftentimes the pain is not referred to by the patient as a pain at all. It is often described as a burning, pressing, squeezing, or general tightness of the chest. It is often confused with indigestion and heartburn. A patient experiencing frequent attacks of angina will often characterize it as a general feeling of discomfort within their chest wall. It is uncommon for anginal pain to be localized to a specific part of the chest.
The exact location of the pain can oftentimes be very difficult to pinpoint. Most often the pain will feel like it is approximately on the left side of the chest. In some cases the pain can radiate down the left shoulder and even into the upper arm. Some patients report feeling tingling all the way down into their elbow or wrist. In some cases the pain can radiate up into the jaw, upper back, and even into the neck.
An attack of stable angina usually comes on rather quickly and subsides when a person stops whatever activity precipitated it. Most episodes of anginal pain last approximately 5 minutes. Angina which is experienced due to an extremely stressful episode, or possibly after a heavy meal can last up to 20 minutes. It is rare for an attack to last over half an hour. If it does, it is a sign of relatively advanced disease.
Chest pain must almost always be taken very seriously. If you or a loved one are experiencing episodes of chest pain, whether during exercise or at rest, it is important to make an appointment to see your physician as soon as possible. As mentioned previously, angina is a precursor to more severe forms of cardiovascular heart disease. It is not something you want to take lightly. Your doctor has a wide range of tests available to determine if your pain is in fact angina. There are treatments available to reduce the pain and lower your risk for developing a heart attack in the future.
