Is angina chest pain constant?

Stable angina pain is predictable and usually similar to previous episodes of chest pain. The chest pain typically lasts a short time, perhaps five minutes or less. Unstable angina (a medical emergency). Unstable angina is unpredictable and occurs at rest.

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Can you have constant angina pain?

If you have unstable angina, symptoms can develop rapidly and can persist even when you are at rest. They may continue for some time. Symptoms of unstable angina might also not respond to treatment with glycerine trinitrate (GTN).

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Can angina symptoms come and go?

Angina is chest pain that comes and goes. There are several types of angina. Stable angina (angina pectoris) is the most common type, and it's caused by coronary artery disease. Rest and medication can ease your angina and improve your quality of life.

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How long does angina chest pain last?

Usually lasts 5 minutes; rarely more than 15 minutes. Triggered by physical activity, emotional stress, heavy meals, extreme cold or hot weather. Relieved within 5 minutes by rest, nitroglycerin or both. Pain in the chest that may spread to the jaw, neck, arms, back or other areas.

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Can angina happen all day?

Unstable angina, which builds in intensity and lasts minutes to hours, requires a trip to the emergency department. It often occurs with only slight physical exertion and can even happen when you're resting or sleeping.

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Chest pain & angina: what does it feel like and what causes it?

24 related questions found

What does the start of angina feel like?

Chest pain

feels tight, dull or heavy – although some people (especially women) may have sharp, stabbing pain. spreads to your arms, neck, jaw or back. is triggered by physical exertion or stress. stops within a few minutes of resting.

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Where is the pain located with angina?

These are the most common symptoms of angina: A pressing, squeezing, or crushing pain, usually in the chest under your breastbone. Pain may also occur in your upper back, both arms, neck, or ear lobes. Pain radiating in your arms, shoulders, jaw, neck, or back.

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How do you rule out angina pain?

You may have:
  1. an electrocardiogram (ECG) – a test to check your heart's rhythm and electrical activity.
  2. a coronary angiography – a scan taken after having an injection of a dye to help highlight your heart and blood vessels.
  3. an exercise ECG – an ECG carried out while you're walking on a treadmill or using an exercise bike.

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What can mimic angina pain?

Angina can be confused with gallbladder disease, stomach ulcers and acid reflux. It usually goes away within a few minutes with rest or with the use of nitroglycerin. Angina is not the same as a heart attack although the symptoms may be similar.

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What are the two warning signs of unstable angina?

Symptoms of unstable angina include: Tight or crushing pain in your chest that may spread to other areas in your upper body. Chest pain that happens even when you're not exerting yourself.

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What age does angina normally start?

Angina is rare in people under 35 years of age unless that person has other health problems which make angina more common – such as diabetes or smoking tobacco. Besides age, smoking, and diabetes, risk factors include a history of hypertension or high cholesterol.

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Do I have angina or anxiety?

Angina tends to radiate, causing referred pain all around the shoulder and neck. Anxiety chest pains/hyperventilation tend to be more localized near the heart. Anxiety chest pains are usually sharper, although not always.

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How long should angina pain last before becoming alarmed?

Angina is temporary chest pain or discomfort that happens when your heart doesn't get enough blood and oxygen. Angina can be a symptom of coronary heart disease. If angina symptoms continue for more than 10 minutes, are severe or getting worse, call Triple Zero (000) immediately for an ambulance.

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Does angina pain go away with rest?

If it's angina, your symptoms usually ease or go away after a few minutes' rest, or after taking the medicines your doctor or nurse has prescribed for you, such as glyceryl trinitrate medicine (GTN). If you're having a heart attack, your symptoms are less likely to ease or go away after resting or taking medicines.

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What is the difference between normal chest pain and angina?

Classic coronary pain--or angina--involves a substernal pressure that commonly begins with exertion and is relieved by rest. However, some patients experience angina in the absence of physical exertion or emotional stress, and not all chest pain that begins after exertion is angina.

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How to tell the difference between chest pain and heart pain?

It can be difficult to distinguish heart-related chest pain from other types of chest pain. However, chest pain that is less likely due to a heart problem is more often associated with: A sour taste or a sensation of food reentering your mouth. Trouble swallowing.

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Will an ECG show if you have angina?

In order to diagnose the cause of angina, the following tests may be performed: Electrocardiogram (ECG): This test records the electrical activity of the heart, which is used to diagnose heart abnormalities such as arrhythmias or to show ischemia (lack of oxygen and blood) to the heart.

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How do doctors check for angina?

A health care provider threads a thin tube (catheter) through a blood vessel in the arm or groin to an artery in the heart and injects dye through the catheter. The dye makes the heart arteries show up more clearly on an X-ray. Your health care provider might call this type of X-ray an angiogram.

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Does stress test rule out angina?

Stress tests can detect when arteries have 70% or more blockage. This severe narrowing is what causes the severe chest pain called angina. But normal results from a stress test do not rule out the possibility of a future heart attack.

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What does a small heart blockage feel like?

Small vessel disease signs and symptoms include: Chest pain, squeezing or discomfort (angina), which may get worse with activity or emotional stress. Discomfort in the left arm, jaw, neck, back or abdomen along with chest pain. Shortness of breath.

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When should you go to hospital with angina?

Immediate action required: Call 999 if:

You have sudden chest pain that: spreads to your arms, back, neck or jaw. makes your chest feel tight or heavy. also started with shortness of breath, sweating and feeling or being sick.

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Is my heart OK if ECG is normal?

You may have a perfectly normal ECG, yet still have a heart condition. If your test is normal but your doctor suspects that you have a heart problem, he may recommend that you have another ECG, or a different type of test to find out for sure.

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What are the symptoms of unusual angina?

Chest pain that you may also feel in the shoulder, arm, jaw, neck, back, or other area. Discomfort that feels like tightness, squeezing, crushing, burning, choking, or aching. Discomfort that occurs at rest and does not easily go away when you take medicine. Shortness of breath.

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What causes chest pain if ECG is normal?

It could be a lung disorder, such as a blood clot to the lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism. Additionally, other causes of chest discomfort include spasm of the esophagus, diseases of the aorta, gastroesophageal reflux disease, musculoskeletal pain, fast heart rhythm abnormalities and costochondritis.

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How do I know if my chest pain is serious?

How do I know if my chest pain is serious? Call 911 or have someone take you to the closest emergency room right away if you have chest pain that lasts longer than five minutes and doesn't go away when you rest or take medication. Cardiac chest pain can be life-threatening. Chest pain can be a sign of a heart attack.

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