The main symptoms of angina - pain or discomfort in the center of the chest. These feelings may be similar to a lot of pressure, heaviness, burning, or tightness in the chest. Typically, pain or discomfort in the chest there, but after a while they can begin to be felt in the arms, shoulders, neck, jaw. According to descriptions of some patients, pain during an angina attack is reminiscent of that which occurs when heartburn or indigestion.
The first signs of angina
The first signs of angina usually appear in middle and old age - usually after 50-55 years. The results of extensive research in European countries have shown that men on average, angina develops at an earlier age than the women. So, it is suffering from angina, one of the twelve men aged 55 to 64 years, and one of the thirty women in the same age group. After 65 years, angina identify one of seven men and one out of twelve women. In addition, symptoms of angina in men younger than 40 years there were significantly more likely than women in this age group.
The researchers also note that in recent years this violation occurs more frequently in patients younger than 30 years; they are strongly advised not to ignore the pain in his chest, not even very strong, no matter what age they are there.
There are many cases when a person's confidence that he is too young for heart disease and chest pain
Chest pain is one symptom - a lot of diseases
caused by other, less serious causes, it leads to sad consequences.
Typically, any warning signs of angina have available, although some patients say they feel weak chest discomfort for a few days or weeks before they had a real attack. By the way, the signs of angina in women are often less severe than that of men. Some patients at the onset of symptoms such as nausea, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, severe fatigue, but the chest pain may be mild, and sometimes she does not. Women may also feel discomfort or pain in the neck, jaw or back, but without typical angina chest pain. These differences often lead to the fact that the patient's long enough to delay seeking medical attention.
Symptoms of stable angina
Symptoms of stable angina
Stable angina - one of the manifestations of coronary heart disease
may occur after exercise, stress, food intake, exposure to cold or swimming in cold water. In typical cases, the attack lasts from one to five minutes, and passes, if a person stops the activity that led to the attack, and / or take nitroglycerin. The intensity of the pain of stable angina does not change during inhalation or exhalation, cough or change in body position. This violation of angina symptoms in the resting ECG is usually lacking. For the diagnosis of stable angina may need Exercise ECG - This test is done when the patient is engaged in the simulator. Very valuable information may give diagnostic, held directly in the attack.
This form is called stable angina, since it attacks the patient is not caught off guard - they start after exposure to certain factors, so that they can predict and occur with approximately the same intensity. If you have suffered unusually heavy and / or prolonged angina, as soon as possible to see a doctor.
The symptoms of unstable angina
Symptoms appear suddenly unstable angina. As a rule, this violation is more severe pain than stable angina but high intensity of pain in no way means that the prognosis for the patient is very unfavorable. Nevertheless, it should be appreciated that unstable angina may be a precursor of a myocardial infarction.
The attack may begin after a brief exercise that patient yesterday endured without any problems, while sleeping at night, when performing sedentary work, and so on.
The duration of attacks may be up to half an hour, and over time they can become more powerful. In addition to the oppressive chest pain, unstable angina may cause symptoms such as profuse sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, sudden weakness, dizziness. In unstable angina chest pain persists after taking nitroglycerin. In a survey of the patient with this diagnosis can be detected bradycardia or tachycardia
Tachycardia - the body to the limit?
(reduced or increased heart rate, respectively).
The symptoms of variant angina
Variant angina, or Prinzmetal angina, causes severe pain in the chest that may radiate to other parts of the body. Usually attacks occur when the patient is resting or sleeping, and in most cases it occurs early in the morning. In the most severe cases, patients at the same time there are signs of angina and cardiac arrhythmias.
An attack can last from a few minutes to half an hour, but it stops soon after taking nitroglycerin. To distinguish unstable angina of Prinzmetal angina
Prinzmetal angina - a rare disease with serious consequences
It can be very difficult. This requires a thorough diagnosis, in which frequently used method such as coronary angiography.
Symptoms of angina and myocardial infarction - what's the difference?
A middle aged man suddenly covered in a cold sweat, his face distorted grimace of pain, and he clutched at his chest with one hand, and another - for some thing not to fall. Some doctors call it the "Hollywood heart attack" - such scenes can often see in the movies, but in real life a heart attack rarely expresses himself so dramatically. A heart attack can be quite a long time does not cause special concern not only for the casual observer, but also from the patient.
In practice, angina and heart attacks are very similar: in both cases, people may experience chest pain, radiating to the arms, shoulders, neck, and weakness, dizzy.
Moreover, sometimes a heart attack starts with causeless tiredness, pain and discomfort in the abdomen, and general malaise - symptoms that patients may ignore a few hours waiting for that they will be on their own. And this, of course, is a big mistake.
Ideally, the patient should receive treatment that restores blood flow to the heart, within one hour after the first signs of myocardial infarction; staying too long without oxygen, the tissue of the heart muscle begin to die. Meanwhile, studies show that half of the people who have a heart attack occurs, seek medical attention only after four or more hours after the first symptoms of a heart attack.
The main difference between a heart attack from angina attack is that its symptoms do not go away after taking nitroglycerin. In addition, during a heart attack are more likely than angina, symptoms such as nausea, cold sweats, shortness of breath, dizziness, abdominal discomfort, indigestion-like symptoms. Some patients have experienced a heart attack, said that in addition to these symptoms, they felt a lot of pressure or pain in the neck and upper back. Sometimes just a few days before the heart attack symptoms occur, such as shortness of breath, fatigue and unreasoning abdominal discomfort.
If you took three nitroglycerin tablets for fifteen minutes, and chest pain has not passed, or if you have any symptoms, not like symptoms of angina attacks, in case you earlier, immediately seek medical attention.
