Angina
Overview
Angina is a feeling of pain or tightness, usually in your chest. It can be a sign of a heart problem, so it's important to see a GP as soon as possible if you think you may have it.
Symptoms
The main symptom of angina is sudden pain in your chest, neck, shoulders, jaw or arms. The pain may: feel like tightness, squeezing or pressure, or like a dull achemake you feel sick, breathless, dizzy or sweaty These symptoms may be called an angina attack, episode or pain. They are often brought on by exercise, stress, emotion or cold temperatures – although sometimes there's no obvious trigger. Angina attacks usually last less than 10 minutes and should stop after resting for a few minutes or taking your angina medicine.
Causes
Angina happens when the heart does not get enough blood. This is usually due tocoronary heart disease, where the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits. But it can also be caused by the blood vessels in your heart tightening when they should not (vasospastic angina or microvascular angina). You're more likely to get angina if you: are a man aged 45 or over, or a woman aged 55 or oversmokedrink more than 14 units of alcohol a weekare living with obesity or overweighthavehigh blood pressureorhigh cholesterolhave had heart problems before, like a heart attack orheart rhythm problem (arrhythmia)have close relatives who have heart problemshave another condition, such as diabetes, arthritis or kidney disease
Treatment
If you've been diagnosed with angina and get chest pain, follow the instructions you've been given for treating your angina: Stop what you're doing and rest.Use any medicine you've been prescribed – this is usually glyceryl trinitrate (GTN).Take another dose after 5 minutes if the first dose does not help. If you still have symptoms 5 minutes after taking the 2nd dose, call 999 for an ambulance. If you have angina, you may be given medicine to: treat an angina attack if you have one (glyceryl trinitrate)lower your chances of having an angina attack, such asbeta blockersreduce your risk of having a stroke or heart attack, such aslow-dose aspirinorstatins Sometimes you may be recommended to have surgery to increase the blood flow to your heart (coronary angioplastyor acoronary artery bypass).
Prevention
If you have angina, there are things you can do to help symptoms or reduce the chance of attacks. avoid things that trigger your angina attacks as much as possible, like stress, cold temperatures or eating large meals avoid things that trigger your angina attacks as much as possible, like stress, cold temperatures or eating large meals always have your angina medicine with you – use it as you have been told by your doctor always have your angina medicine with you – use it as you have been told by your doctor try to quit smoking, if you smoke try to quit smoking, if you smoke try to keep to a healthy weight try to keep to a healthy weight eat a balanced diet eat a balanced diet have the most active lifestyle your symptoms will allow have the most active lifestyle your symptoms will allow try to cut down on alcohol if you drink more than 14 units a week try to cut down on alcohol if you drink more than 14 units a week
When to see a doctor
Call 999 immediately for: chest pain lasting more than a few minutes; pain not relieved by rest or medication; pain spreading to arm/neck/jaw; accompanied by sweating, breathlessness. See GP for recurring angina symptoms.