How Long Does Angina Last?

Angina pain is most often localized to the chest, and the discomfort is typically described as a feeling of heavy pressure, fullness, burning, or squeezing. However, it’s not uncommon for the pain that you feel in your chest to spread to other areas of the body, including your jaw, shoulders, neck, back, and abdomen. 

This spreading of pain is caused by lack of oxygen flowing to the heart and is known as “angina equivalents.” You may also experience fatigue, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, and excessive sweating a result of your angina pain. 

It’s important to note that the severity, duration, and type of angina that you feel can vary. However, if you begin to experience symptoms that are new or different than what is normal for you, it may indicate that (1) you condition is worsening or (2) that you may be in the midst of a pre-heart attack.

Angina pain and chest pain can be tricky to distinguish from each other, especially without the insight of a heart specialist. 

Angina tends to come on via physical activity, after big meals, when you’re experiencing emotional stress, or when you’re exposed to cold temperatures. The discomfort caused by angina also isn’t sharp, such as you’d find with chest pain. Instead, it’s more of an uncomfortable burning or squeezing sensation that tends to dissipate after a few minutes.

In addition, angina does not usually change with any bodily movements or deep breaths, whereas other forms of chest pain typically do. 

The symptoms of angina may vary in duration and intensity from person-to-person, and are often experienced after emotional stress, physical activity, or being exposed to cool temperatures. Signs and symptoms include:

– Tightness and/or pressure in your chest or arms.
– Burning, cramping, or squeezing pain in your chest.
– Numbness in your arms, wrists, and shoulders.
– Feelings of constant moderate to severe indigestion.
– Dull pain radiates from your chest and moves into your jaw, neck, arms, back, throat, abdomen, and/or shoulders.

Having angina elevates your risk of having a heart attack, especially if you have “unstable angina” which is characterized by unpredictable symptoms, even at rest.

This is because your heart muscle isn’t receiving as much oxygen-rich blood as it should, which is usually the result of narrowed arteries, blockages, or clots. All these issues put you at a greater risk of experiencing heart muscle damage and/or a heart attack. 

Some people have long-term angina and never have a heart attack, while others suffer complications almost immediately after starting to experience chest pain. This is why it’s so important to consult with a heart specialist as soon as possible, to get on top of cardiac ailment before it grows into a more serious or detrimental condition.

If you’re experiencing angina, or have recently been diagnosed with a heart-related medical condition, connect with us at Sterling Heart Care. We offer safe, professional, and comprehensive testing and treatment to safeguard the health of your heart. Contact us today for any questions that you may have about our angina treatment services or book in online to schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience.  We are conveniently located at 4330 Maple Rd. 1st Floor Buffalo, NY 14226. We serve patients from Buffalo NY, Pine Hill NY, Sloan NY, Kenmore NY, Cleveland Hill NY, and Kaisertown NY.