Heart failure
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea) when you exert yourself or when you lie down.
- Fatigue and weakness.
- Swelling (edema) in your legs, ankles and feet.
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
- Reduced ability to exercise.
- Persistent cough or wheezing with white or pink blood-tinged phlegm.
- Increased need to urinate at night.
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- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). Each beat of your heart is triggered by an electrical impulse generated from special cells in your heart.
- Stress test.
- Echocardiogram.
- Nuclear stress test.
- Chest X-ray.
- Blood tests.
- Coronary angiography.
- Cardiac computerized tomography (CT) scan.
When you climb stairs, exercise or walk, your heart demands more blood, but narrowed arteries slow down blood flow. Besides physical activity, other factors such as emotional stress, cold temperatures, heavy meals and smoking also can narrow arteries and trigger angina.
An ECG done while you're having symptoms can help your doctor determine whether chest pain is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, such as with the chest pain of unstable angina.
Angina is chest pain or discomfort caused when your heart muscle doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood. It may feel like pressure or squeezing in your chest. The discomfort also can occur in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back.
Can you die from angina? No, because angina is a symptom, not a disease or condition. However, this symptom is a sign of coronary artery disease, which means you may be at increased risk of a heart attack — and heart attacks can be life-threatening.
It is more common in people over the age of 50 years. It is also more common in men than in women. Sometimes it occurs in younger people.
Regular exercise improves your body's ability to take in and use oxygen, which means you can do daily activities more easily and feel less tired. It can also help reduce your angina symptoms (like chest pain and shortness of breath) by encouraging your body to use a network of tiny blood vessels that supply your heart.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of pericarditis. It usually feels sharp or stabbing. However, some people have dull, achy or pressure-like chest pain. The pain usually occurs behind the breastbone or in the left side of your chest.
Feeling heaviness in the chest can result from various mental and physical health conditions. People often associate a heavy feeling in the chest with heart problems, but this discomfort can be a sign of anxiety or depression. A feeling of heaviness is one way that a person may describe chest pain or discomfort.
The main difference between symptoms is that:
- Heartburn tends to be worse after eating and when lying down, but a heart attack can happen after a meal, too.
- Heartburn can be relieved by drugs that reduce acid levels in the stomach.
- Heartburn does not cause more general symptoms, such as breathlessness.
Usually, the symptoms of anxiety chest pain entail a persistent chest aching, sharp/shooting pain, muscle twitch or spasm on the chest. People may feel tension, numbness, stabbing, or a burning sensation in their chest area, lasting for 5 to 10 seconds.
Classic symptoms of strain in the chest muscle include:
- pain, which may be sharp (an acute pull) or dull (a chronic strain)
- swelling.
- muscle spasms.
- difficulty moving the affected area.
- pain while breathing.
- bruising.
Nausea or feeling sick on your stomach is a less common but possible symptom of a heart attack. Sometimes belching or burping can accompany nausea, and some patients have described a feeling like indigestion associated with a heart attack.
The symptoms of a heart attack for females can include any of the following:
- chest pain and discomfort, often in the center or on the left side of the chest, which may go away and come back again.
- weakness or lightheadedness.
- shortness of breath.
- pain in the jaw, back, or neck.
- pain in one or both arms.
- a cold sweat.
“If you belch or pass gas and the pain goes away, you could just be experiencing stomach pain or heartburn,” said Joseph Lash, M.D., cardiologist with Norton Heart and Vascular Institute. “If the pain persists and you have shortness of breath or nausea, it could be a heart-related issue.”
Angina symptoms in women can also include feeling out of breath, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or sharp chest pain. Once the extra demand for blood and oxygen stops, so do the symptoms.
an electrocardiogram (ECG) – a test to check your heart's rhythm and electrical activity. a coronary angiography – a scan taken after having an injection of a dye to help highlight your heart and blood vessels. an exercise ECG – an ECG carried out while you're walking on a treadmill or using an exercise bike.
Lifestyle changes are sometimes enough to make angina go away, though most people need one or more medications to ease or prevent angina. Some people need a procedure to open or bypass blocked coronary arteries.
If your symptoms are well controlled and you make healthy lifestyle changes, you can usually have a normal life with angina.
Here are best foods to eat and lifestyle changes to reverse angina.
- Stop smoking.
- Work towards a healthier body weight.
- Consume omega-3 fats (EPA+DHA)
- Eat more plants.
- Reduce intake of bad fats and sugar.
- Exercise regularly.
- Get help from a proven ICR program.
All patients suspected of angina pectoris based on symptoms, should have a 12-lead ECG resting recorded. It should be emphasized that a normal resting ECG is not uncommon even in patients with severe angina and does not exclude the diagnosis of ischemia.
Usually lasts 5 minutes; rarely more than 15 minutes. Triggered by physical activity, emotional stress, heavy meals, extreme cold or hot weather. Relieved within 5 minutes by rest, nitroglycerin or both. Pain in the chest that may spread to the jaw, neck, arms, back or other areas.
When chest pains are seriousDon't play doctor — go see one, fast, if you are worried about pain or discomfort in your chest, upper back, left arm, or jaw; or suddenly faint or develop a cold sweat, nausea, or vomiting.
If you need immediate relief from your angina:
- Stop, relax, and rest. Lie down if you can.
- Take nitroglycerin.
- If the pain or discomfort doesn't stop a few minutes after taking nitroglycerin or if your symptoms become more severe, call 911 or let someone know that you need immediate medical assistance.
There are 2 main types of angina you can be diagnosed with:
- stable angina (more common) – attacks have a trigger (such as stress or exercise) and stop within a few minutes of resting.
- unstable angina (more serious) – attacks are more unpredictable (they may not have a trigger) and can continue despite resting.
Silent ischemia occurs when the heart temporarily doesn't receive enough blood (and thus oxygen), but the person with the oxygen-deprivation doesn't notice any effects. Silent ischemia is related to angina, which is a reduction of oxygen-rich blood in the heart that causes chest pain and other related symptoms.
It can be challenging to distinguish between angina and an anxiety attack, especially because emotional distress can also increase the amount of oxygen the heart requires and trigger angina.
Unstable angina or sometimes referred to as acute coronary syndrome causes unexpected chest pain, and usually occurs while resting.
Avoid foods that contain saturated fat and partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated fats. These are unhealthy fats that are often found in fried foods, processed foods, and baked goods. Eat fewer foods that contain cheese, cream, or eggs.
