Angina (Chest Pain)

Angina symptoms

The most common symptom of angina is discomfort in the chest that may feel like burning, pressure, squeezing or tightness. Additionally, you may experience:

• Light-headedness
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating for no reason
• Tiredness
• Weakness

In some cases, the pain doesn’t stay confined to your chest. It can radiate into your shoulders, back, neck, jaw or arms. While angina symptoms are always the same, the severity and duration vary based on the type of angina you have.

Is it angina or a heart attack?

Angina is a common heart attack symptom. You should always call 911 if you have concerning chest pain, but here are some key differences between angina and heart attack-related chest pain.

Although scary, angina does not cause permanent damage.

Additional heart attack warning signs include:

• Back, neck, jaw or stomach discomfort
• Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
• Chest discomfort
• Discomfort in one or both arms
• Shortness of breath Women and men can experience heart attack symptoms differently.

Learn more about these differences on our women’s heart health page.

Angina risk factors

Anyone can experience angina. But, your risk for this common heart problem increases with the following:

• Age: The older you get, the higher your risk for most types of angina. However, vasospastic angina often affects younger people.
• Other medical conditions: Chest pain can be caused by anemia (low red blood cells), chronic kidney disease, peripheral artery disease and cardiomyopathy  (conditions that affect the heart muscle).
• Family history: Your risk for angina increases if your parents, siblings or other close relatives have experienced angina or other heart conditions.
• Ethnicity: African Americans are more likely to experience angina, especially if they’ve already had a heart attack.
• Particle pollution: Dust particles from farms, construction sites and mines can cause chest pain.
• Sex: Until age 55, men are more likely than women to have heart disease and angina. After that age, women and men are equally at risk.
• Tobacco exposure: Smoking cigarettes and secondhand smoke exposure can lead to chest pain.
• Unhealthy lifestyle: Misusing alcohol or illegal drugs, not managing stress, eating an unhealthy diet, and not getting enough physical activity can increase your risk of angina.
• Work environment: Occupations that expose you to radiation or loud noises, are extremely stressful, or make it difficult to get good sleep, increase your chance of developing angina.

Diagnosing angina

Diagnosing angina begins with a discussion about your personal and family medical history. Your provider will also perform a physical exam to check your blood pressure, pulse and heart rate.

During this exam, your provider may ask you questions about:

• When your chest pain occurs and how long it lasts
• Whether it occurs with certain activities
• What the pain feels like and where it’s located
• If anything helps the pain improve

Depending on the results of your physical exam, your provider may recommend one or more of the following tests.

Angina treatment and care options

Unstable angina requires emergency care, as it can lead to a heart attack. Call 911 if you or someone with you experiences unstable angina symptoms.

Stable angina may respond to one or more of the following treatments.