Angina

If you are experiencing pain or discomfort in your chest, you may be suffering from angina. Angina is squeezing, tightness or pressure experienced in your chest. Angina attack is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. At times you may also experience pain in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or the back.

Angina is not a disease on its own, but rather a symptom of coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is one of the most common types of heart disease in adults, which occurs when a substance called plaque builds up around the inner walls of the arteries of your heart. This causes the arteries of the heart to become narrower. Since these arteries primarily carry oxygen to the heart through the bloodstream, the supply of oxygen to the heart then becomes restricted, causing tightness in the chest. Angina may also be a symptom of coronary microvascular disease (MVD), which affects the smallest coronary arteries and is more commonly prevalent amongst women.

There are several causes and risk factors that may trigger an angina attack, such as high blood pressure, being overweight, high cholesterol levels , age, activity levels, family history of heart diseases, smoking, stress and an unhealthy diet.

When to seek expert advise

If you are experiencing chest pain that lasts longer than a few minutes, it is recommended that you consult with your physician as soon as possible. The pain may be signalling a heart attack.

Imagery