The discomfort of angina is different in different people. Some people have angina when they overexert themselves, whereas others feel symptoms when they get very upset or excited. Most individuals eventually learn to anticipate which activities will cause distress. Symptoms of Angina are:
- Chest discomfort
- Chest pain
- Brief pain episodes - often 2-5 minutes
- Pain worsens on exercise
- Pain relief from rest
| Angina | Heart Attack |
|---|---|
| Partial narrowing of the artery | Partial or total blockage of the artery from a blood clot |
| No permanent heart muscle damage | Permanent damage of the heart muscle, unless the blockage can be removed quickly by "clot-buster" medicine or other means |
| Lasts one to 10 minutes | Lasts at least 20 minutes |
| Goes away with rest | May continue after rest |
Note: Chest pain does not always mean that there is a problem with the heart. Other conditions can be confused with angina. For example:
- Anxiety and tension are common causes of sharp chest pain, especially in the area under the left breast. These sensations differ from those of angina, which seldom is concentrated in this region. Anxiety-related chest pain may be accompanied by tenderness or made worse by movement.
- Gallbladder disease or indigestion also can cause pain in the chest, although such pain is associated with food rather than exercise.
