Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common heart disease. CAD occurs when a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, reducing blood flow. But what are the general symptoms of this condition?

General symptoms of angina
Angina is often described as pressure, squeezing, burning, or tightness in the chest. It usually starts in the chest behind the breastbone. Some people with angina symptoms describe angina as feeling like a vise is squeezing their chest, or feeling like a heavy weight has been placed on their chest. Angina may also feel like indigestion and manifest as pain in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back. Some people say that angina discomfort is hard to describe or that they can't tell exactly where the pain is coming from.  General angina symptoms include:

• anxiety
• chest pain or discomfort
• dizziness
• fatigue
• nausea
• pain in the arms, neck, jaw, shoulder or back that accompanies chest pain
• shortness of breath
• sweating

Symptoms also vary based on the type of angina one experiences.

Symptoms of stable angina - During stable angina, pain or discomfort:

• doesn't come as a surprise, and episodes of pain tend to be alike
• is relieved by rest or medicine
• may feel like chest pain that spreads to the arms, back, or other areas
• may feel like gas or indigestion
• occurs when the heart must work harder, usually during physical exertion
• usually lasts a short time (5 minutes or less)

Symptoms of unstable angina - During unstable angina, pain or discomfort

• comes as a surprise
• is more severe than episodes of stable angina
• is usually not relieved with rest or medicine
• lasts as long as 20 minutes
• may get continually worse
• may mean that a heart attack will happen soon
• often occurs at rest, while sleeping at night, or with little physical exertion

Symptoms of variant angina - the pain or discomfort associated with variant angina is usually:

• is relieved by medicine
• severe
• usually occurs at rest
• usually occurs between midnight and early morning

Angina in women
A woman's angina symptoms can be different from the classic angina symptoms. For example, a woman may have chest pain that feels like a stabbing, pulsating or sharp form of chest pain rather than the more typical vise-like pressure. These differences may lead to delays in seeking treatment.  Women are also more likely to experience symptoms, such as:

• abdominal pain
• discomfort in their back, shoulders, and abdomen
• nausea
• shortness of breath

When to seek help
The severity, duration and type of angina can vary over time. It's important to recognize if you have new or changing chest pain. New or different symptoms may signal a more dangerous form of angina (unstable angina) or a heart attack. Unstable angina is an emergency condition that requires treatment in the hospital.

If you experience unexplained chest pain or symptoms of sudden chest pain, seek medical attention right away. Or if chest pain lasts longer than a few minutes and doesn't go away when you rest or take your angina medications, it may be a sign you're having a heart attack. Call 911 or emergency medical help if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• fainting
• an impending sense of doom
• increasing episodes of chest pain
• nausea and vomiting
• pain extending beyond the chest to the shoulder, arm, back, or even to your teeth and jaw
• pressure, fullness or a squeezing pain in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes
• prolonged pain in the upper abdomen
• shortness of breath
• sweating

It's important to diagnose and treat symptoms of angina when you first notice them. This will help prevent the symptoms from worsening and causing threat of a heart attack. To learn more about how to diagnose angina, check out the next section on Diagnosing Angina Pectoris now.