Angina (Chest Pain)

What is angina?

Blood carries oxygen to the heart and the rest of your body. When your heart doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood, you may experience angina, which is the medical term for chest pain or discomfort. Angina is a warning sign that blood flow to your heart muscle is limited and is most often related to blockages in the heart’s arteries.

Female doctor smiling and conversing with male patient about angina while holding a clipboard

Types of angina

How you experience angina depends on the type you have. There are two main types:

Stable angina: This is the most common form of angina and describes chest pain after physical activity or stress. Also known as angina pectoris, it occurs predictably over two months or longer.
Unstable angina: Unstable angina is unpredictable and may cause intense chest pain and occurs whether you’re exercising or at rest. Left untreated, unstable angina can result in a heart attack.

There are also less common types of angina, including:

Microvascular angina: A condition within the heart’s tiny blood vessels that causes chest pain for long periods. It may occur with rest or exertion.
Vasospastic angina: A spasm inside the heart causes intense chest pain, often when resting, and may occur in the middle of the night.

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.

Angina

Do not last more than 20 minutes
Occur with exertion or excitement
Go away with rest

Heart attack

Last more than 20 minutes
May occur without activity or excitement
Do not go away with rest

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.

What causes angina?

Coronary heart disease, the most common heart disease in America, is the leading cause of angina. It occurs when the arteries build up fat, cholesterol and other substances. The arteries become narrowed or blocked, reducing blood flow to the heart and increasing the risk of developing dangerous blood clots that can cause a heart attack or stroke.

Female doctor using stethoscope to examine female patient's heart for symptoms of angina

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: