Definition of Angina

There are two types of angina--stable angina and unstable angina--and both are chest pains and typically symptoms of coronary artery disease. It is important to recognize the symptoms of angina in order to receive proper treatment.

Causes

• The primary cause for angina is a lack of blood flow to the heart. It can be triggered by exercise or ruptured plaques in your blood vessels.

Factors

• There are many factors that may play a part in the development of angina. These include high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, genes, obesity, stress and lack of exercise.

Symptoms

• Some of the symptoms of angina include chest discomfort or pain, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, anxiety, sweating, and pain in the arms, neck, back or jaw. If you have experienced these symptoms, you should speak to your doctor about testing for angina.

Complications

• The primary complication for angina is a heart attack. This is very serious and can be fatal. If you have any symptoms of a heart attack--including sweating, fainting, nausea, vomiting, pressure or squeezing pain in the chest, or pain in the upper abdomen--seek medical attention immediately.

Treatment

• The main treatments for angina are medications. These include pain-killers, beta blockers, calcium-channel blockers, nitrates and statins. All of these will help reduce the chance for a heart attack as well as ease the discomfort of angina.