|  | Conditions Treatments | Heart Disease

Atypical Angina Symptoms

Although most people suffering from angina, which is a symptom itself of coronary artery disease, will display classic symptoms, some people can manifest "atypical" signs of the condition. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, these people will most often be women and elderly adults. This doesn't mean that these populations won't necessarily experience classic symptoms, like chest pain, discomfort or tightness; it simply means that they are more likely to suffer from atypical symptoms than other populations.

  1. Shortness of Breath

    • When the heart is deprived of blood, as would be seen in coronary artery disease, a person will typically suffer from angina. Normally, this would bring about chest pain, but an atypical symptom of this condition could be shortness of breath, according to the Physicians' Desktop Reference. This may be a sudden respiratory change that feels as if you've become unexplainably winded.

    Nausea

    • Another atypical symptom of angina could involve some level of nausea. Again, this will generally be a sudden sensation, much like the aforementioned respiratory symptom, when the heart is deprived of oxygen due to a reduction of blood flow. Sometimes, this nausea is so overwhelming that it may prompt a person to vomit.

    Weakness

    • For some people, angina may bring about the atypical symptom of weakness. This will be an abrupt and unexpected weakness that may prompt a person to grab a seat or lie down. In some cases, this weakness may be so great that their knees will buckle and they will fall to the ground.

    Fainting or Lightheadedness

    • Due to the reduction in oxygen going to the heart, a person suffering from angina may experience the atypical symptom of a lightheadedness or dizziness. This sensation would be absent of chest pain, much like the other symptoms already mentioned, and would hit quite suddenly. On occasion, the lightheadedness or dizziness may cause a person to faint. This is different than weakness, as consciousness can be lost with this particular symptom.

    Sweating

    • There is also the potential for angina to prompt the atypical symptom of sweating. This would be an unmerited sweating, and can be quite problematic for women, especially with absence of chest pain. When a woman is going through menopause, she may mistake the sweating prompted by angina as a standard hot flash.

Heart Disease - Related Articles