Angina Pectoris

What is Angina Pectoris

Angina pectoris is a very bad discomfort in the chest, neck, or arm. It is also called angina. Angina may cause you to feel the following symptoms in your chest:

• Crushing or squeezing pain. Pain might last for more than a few minutes at a time. Or, it may stop and come back (recur) over a few minutes.
• Tightness.
• Fullness.
• Pressure.
• Heaviness.

Some people also have:

• Pain in the arms, neck, jaw, or back.
• Heartburn or indigestion for no reason.
• Shortness of breath.
• An upset stomach (nausea).
• Sudden cold sweats.
• Sudden light-headedness.

Women may have chest discomfort and some of the other problems. However, women often have different problems, such as:

• Feeling tired (fatigue).
• Feeling nervous or worried for no reason.
• Feeling weak for no reason.
• Dizziness or fainting.

Women may have angina without any problems.

Follow these instructions at home:

Medicines

• Take medicines only as told by your doctor.
• Do not take these medicines unless your doctor says that you can:
  • NSAIDs. These include:
    • Ibuprofen.
    • Naproxen.
    • Celecoxib.
  • Vitamin supplements that have vitamin A, vitamin E, or both.
  • Hormone therapy that contains estrogen with or without progestin.

Eating and drinking

• Eat a heart-healthy diet that includes:
  • Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Whole grains.
  • Lowfat (lean) protein.
  • Lowfat dairy products.
• Work with a diet and nutrition specialist (registered dietitian) as told by your doctor. This person can help you make healthy food choices.
• Use healthy cooking methods, such as:
  • Roasting.
  • Grilling.
  • Broiling.
  • Baking.
  • Poaching.
  • Steaming.
  • Stir-frying.
• Follow instructions from your doctor about eating or drinking restrictions.

Activity

• Follow an exercise program approved by your doctor.
• Return to your normal activities as told by your doctor. Ask your doctor what activities are safe for you.
• When you feel tired, take a break. Plan breaks if you know you are going to feel tired.

Lifestyle

• Do not use any products that contain nicotine or tobacco. This includes cigarettes and e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor.
• If your doctor says that you can have alcohol, limit alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink a day for nonpregnant women and 2 drinks a day for men. One drink equals:
  • 12 oz of beer.
  • 5 oz of wine.
  • 1½ oz of hard liquor.

General instructions

• Stay at a healthy weight. If your doctor tells you to do so, work with him or her to lose weight.
• Learn to deal with stress. If you need help, ask your doctor.
• Take a depression screening test to see if you are at risk for depression. If you feel depressed, talk with your doctor.
• Work with your doctor to manage any other health conditions you have.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.

Get help right away if:

• You have pain in your chest, neck, arm, jaw, stomach, or back that:
  • Lasts more than a few minutes.
  • Comes back.
  • Does not get better after you take medicine under your tongue (sublingual nitroglycerin).
• You have any of these problems for no reason:
  • Heartburn, or indigestion.
  • Sweating a lot.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Trouble breathing.
  • Feeling sick to your stomach.
  • Throwing up.
  • Feeling more tired than usual.
  • Feeling nervous or worrying more than usual.
  • Weakness.
  • Watery poop (diarrhea).
• You are suddenly dizzy or light-headed.
• You pass out (faint).

These symptoms may be an emergency. Do not wait to see if the symptoms will go away. Get medical help right away. Call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.). Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

Summary

• Angina pectoris is very bad discomfort in the chest, neck, or arm. It is also called angina.
• Angina may feel like a crushing or squeezing pain in the chest. It may feel like tightness, pressure, fullness, or heaviness in the chest.
• Women often have different symptoms from men, such as feeling nervous, worried, or weak for no reason, or feeling tired. Women may also have no symptoms.
• Take medicines only as told by your doctor.
• You should eat a heart-healthy diet and follow an exercise program.