Angina attack symptoms vary as to when they occur, duration, and level of severity. Stable angina attack symptoms generally occur after physical exertion, and tend to last 5 minutes or less. Unstable angina attack symptoms strike unexpectedly (usually during sleep), and may last up to 30 minutes. Stable and variant angina attack symptoms can be treated with medicine, but unstable angina attack symptoms cannot.
Angina Attack Symptoms: An Overview
People with
angina attack symptoms usually feel discomfort (often a pressure-like pain) in or around the chest, shoulders, jaw, neck, back, or arms. It may feel like a squeezing, pressing sensation in the chest. This pain usually lasts 2 to 5 minutes. Angina attack symptoms are usually caused and made worse by exercise and eased by rest.
Other angina attack symptoms can include:
- Indigestion or heartburn-like sensation
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Lightheadedness
- Weakness.
Angina Attack Symptoms Based on Type
Angina attack symptoms can vary somewhat based on the type of angina (stable, unstable, or variant).
With
stable angina attack symptoms:
- They occur when the heart must work harder
- They usually occur during physical exertion
- The episodes of pain tend to be alike
- The pain usually lasts a short time (5 minutes or less).
On the other hand,
unstable angina attack symptoms often occur unexpectedly at rest, while sleeping at night, or with little physical exertion. The pain is generally more severe and lasts longer (as long as 30 minutes) than with episodes of stable angina.
The difference between unstable and
variant angina symptoms is that in variant angina, the symptoms can usually be relieved with medicine, whereas unstable angina attack symptoms cannot.
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