Angina is a condition that causes heaviness, pressure, squeezing tightness or pain in the chest. It is also known as angina pectoris. It occurs because of less oxygen supply to the heart.
When fatty substances start building up in the arteries, they block the blood flow to the heart muscles. In such cases, the heart functions with less oxygen and results in pain or tightness.
Angina is not a disease, instead, it is a symptom of coronary artery disease. It might not be life-threatening but it is a symptom of a heart attack or heart disease.
Types
The various types of angina are as follows:
1. Unstable Angina
Unstable angina occurs when you are resting and the pain lasts for more than 5 minutes which may worsen over time. This condition is due to atherosclerosis which prevents the blood from flowing to the heart. It is a clear sign of a heart attack and requires emergency care.
2. Stable Angina
When your heart is working harder during a heavy workout, the pain lasts for 5 minutes. A person can experience this in a regular pattern for months and years.
3. Microvascular Angina
This type of angina affects the smallest coronary arteries and causes fatigue, shortness of breath, sleep problems and low energy levels. It lasts for 10 to 30 minutes, as per Medical News Today.
4. Variant Angina
Variant Angina is rare and occurs during rest and around midnight or early morning. This spasm in coronary arteries can be triggered by cold, medicines, stress or smoking.
Causes
The things that put you at higher risk of angina are as follows:
- Heart diseases history in the family
- Old age
- High Cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Using tobacco
- Stress
- Less exercise
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