Angina

What is Angina?

Angina is chest pain or discomfort that may feel like a pressure or a squeezing sensation in the chest.  The pain can also occur in the shoulders, arms, jaw, neck, or back.  Angina is not a disease but a symptom that usually occurs with patients who have myocardial ischemia or coronary artery disease. 

Angina will take place when the heart muscle doesn't receive enough oxygen enriched blood as it needs, usually because one or more arteries are narrowed or blocked.  Typical episodes only last for 2 to 3 minutes and usually subside quickly following the use of a nitroglycerin tablet.  Angina is a sign of increased risk of a heart attack, cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death.