heart and blood vessel disorders
Angina
Symptoms of Angina
Most commonly, a person feels angina as pressure or an ache beneath the breastbone (sternum). People often interpret the sensation as discomfort or heaviness rather than pain. Discomfort also may occur in either shoulder or down the inside of either arm, through the back, and in the throat, jaw, or teeth. In older people, symptoms of angina may be different and therefore easily misdiagnosed. For instance, the pain is less likely to occur beneath the breastbone. Pain may occur in the back and shoulders and may be incorrectly blamed on arthritis. Discomfort, bloating, and gas may occur in the stomach area, particularly after meals (because extra blood is needed to help in digestion). People may mistake such discomfort for indigestion or blame it on a stomach ulcer. Belching may even seem to relieve these symptoms. Also, older people who have confusion or dementia may have difficulty in communicating that they have pain. Symptoms of angina may be very different in women. Women are more likely to have a burning sensation or tenderness in the back, shoulders, arms, or jaw. Women experience the discomfort of angina differently than men and are more likely to have a burning sensation or tenderness in the back, shoulders, arms, or jaw. Typically, angina is triggered by exertion, lasts no more than a few minutes, and subsides with rest. Some people experience angina predictably with a specific degree of exertion. In other people, episodes occur unpredictably. Often, angina is worse when exertion follows a meal. It is usually worse in cold weather. Walking into the wind or moving from a warm room into the cold air may trigger angina. Emotional stress may also cause or worsen angina. Sometimes, experiencing a strong emotion while resting or having a bad dream during sleep can cause angina. Not everyone with ischemia experiences angina. Ischemia that does not cause angina is called silent ischemia. Doctors do not understand why ischemia is sometimes silent, and some debate its significance. However, most experts consider silent ischemia as serious as ischemia that causes angina. 