Heartburn or Angina Symptoms?

Related Multimedia

Click on an icon to view.

Patterns of Heartburn or Angina Symptoms

For some people, knowing the patterns and triggers of heartburn or angina symptoms can help them understand the differences.

Stable angina usually occurs in a pattern. Most people with angina learn to understand:

What causes the angina pain to occur
What it feels like
How long it usually lasts
Whether it is relieved by rest or medicine.

After several episodes, you will learn to recognize when you are having angina and its triggers. For a lot of people, angina is triggered by:

Physical exertion, such as exercise, hurrying, or sexual activity
Emotion (stress, anger, frustration, or fright)
Exposure to very hot or cold temperatures
Heavy meals
Smoking.

It is important for you to notice if the pattern starts to change. Changes to be aware of may include:

The pain is occurring more often
It is lasting longer
It is more severe
It occurs without exertion
It doesn't go away with rest or angina medicine.

These changes in the pattern may be a sign that your symptoms are getting worse or becoming unstable. You should seek medical attention if these things happen. Unstable angina suggests that you are at high risk for a heart attack.

Heartburn symptoms usually occur after eating, and can also be triggered by certain foods or activities. Some examples of things that may trigger heartburn include: