Angina
Just a fancy name for chest pain or discomfort, angina often points to an underlying heart problem.
Although you may experience pressure or a squeezing sensation in your chest, the feeling may also occur in your neck, jaw, shoulders, back or arms. These symptoms warn doctors that you may have coronary heart disease, the most common form of heart disease in adults.
(The fatty material that causes heart disease restricts the arteries; this restriction causes a reduction of oxygenated blood to the heart muscles, leading to chest pain.)
Not all chest pain is caused by heart problems. Angina can result from a lung infection, panic attack or even a blockage in an artery of the lung, called pulmonary embolism.
Always see a doctor so he or she can determine why you are having chest pain.
Recently Answered
- Q What is stable angina pectoris?
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Dr. Harris McIlwain, Pain MedicineStable angina pectoris means that the discomfort and limitation have not increased recently, such as over the previous 1 to 2 months. There may be chest pain, tightness or other discomfort on exertion or from other causes, but the severity and frequency... Full Answer
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- Q What is unstable angina pectoris?
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Dr. Harris McIlwain, Pain MedicineAngina pectoris is called unstable when the chest discomfort changes--if it happens for the first time or when it becomes more frequent or longer lasting. Being aware of this change is important because it means danger with a higher risk of sudden... Full Answer
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- Q Can variant angina be prevented?
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You are in control of many of the factors that increase your risk of coronary artery disease and angina. Reducing or eliminating these risk factors can help prevent variant angina. Since smoking and obesity both increase your risk of angina, quitting... Full Answer
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- Q What is the rate of incidence of variant angina?
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About 350,000 people are diagnosed with angina each year in the United States alone. About 6.5 million people in the U.S. have angina. However, variant angina is a very rare type of type of angina. Only about 2 percent of people with angina have variant... Full Answer
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- Q Is variant angina serious?
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Variant angina is very serious. Variant angina is caused by a coronary artery spasm, and can lead to a heart attack. A heart attack is a dangerous medical condition that can be life threatening and which requires emergency medical attention. Full Answer
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- Q How is variant angina related to a heart attack?
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The cause of variant angina is a coronary artery spasm. This causes blood flow to the heart to slow or stop. Even though the spasm is temporary, the longer the spasm lasts, the longer the heart goes without enough blood flow. If the spasm lasts long... Full Answer
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- Q How does variant angina affect men and women differently?
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Men become at greater risk of angina at a younger age than women. Angina usually occurs in men over 45 and women over 55. In addition, the pain of variant angina may be much different in women than it is in men. Women may feel the pain as a burning or... Full Answer
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- Q How do other illnesses affect variant angina?
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High blood pressure increases the risk of variant angina because it can harm arteries. High cholesterol may lead to narrowing of the arteries that allow blood to flow to the heart, increasing the risk of angina. Illnesses that increase the risk of... Full Answer
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- Q Does variant angina affect children differently than adults?
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Variant angina usually occurs in men over 45 and women over 55. It is very unlikely to affect a child. Full Answer
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- Q How do other illnesses affect unstable angina?
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Unstable angina is often caused by coronary artery disease. High blood pressure increases the risk of coronary artery disease and angina because it can harm arteries. People who experience chronic stable angina may have increased risk of unstable angina.... Full Answer
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