Angina

Angina is chest pain that flares up when your heart isn’t getting enough oxygen-rich blood. At Advanced Medical Care in Brighton Beach (Brooklyn) and Forest Hills (Queens), New York, experienced health professionals use modern diagnostic tools to find and treat the underlying cause of your angina. Chest pain isn’t a symptom you should ignore because it can be a clear sign of a heart attack. Call the office today or schedule an appointment online to learn if your chest pain is angina.

What is angina?

Angina is a symptom of your heart not getting an adequate supply of oxygen. With angina, you feel pain, pressure, and/or squeezing in your chest, and this pain can radiate into your shoulders, arms, neck, and/or back. Angina can also feel like indigestion.

You might only experience pain during physical activity when your heart is pumping hard. Or it can flare up spontaneously.

Though chest pain can have many causes, it’s not a symptom you should ignore.

If you have sudden, severe chest pain and difficulty breathing, call 911 immediately or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

What are the types of angina?

Advanced Medical Care’s cardiologists classify angina according to its cause and severity. Types of angina include:

Stable angina

Stable angina causes a consistent and predictable pattern of symptoms for two or more months.

Unstable angina

Unstable angina is unpredictable, causing chest pain with or without physical activity and failing to improve with rest. Unstable angina is a medical emergency because it can indicate you’re having a heart attack.

Microvascular angina

Microvascular angina is chest pain that occurs in people with coronary artery disease (blockages or narrowing in the coronary arteries) that affect the tiny blood vessels in the heart.

Microvascular angina can be stable or unstable and cause severe pain that lasts longer than other types of angina.

Variant angina

Variant angina, also called Prinzmetal’s angina, is a rare type of angina that occurs when the muscles in the arteries suddenly tighten.

What happens during an evaluation for angina?

The Advanced Medical Care team takes a patient-centered approach to care, conducting thorough exams to find the cause and severity of your angina. They review your symptoms, medical history, and family history and do a physical exam.

The team also performs diagnostic tests to assess heart health and function and confirm or rule out a diagnosis. Testing can include an electrocardiogram (EKG), echocardiogram, or stress test.

What are the treatments for angina?

The Advanced Medical Care team customizes your angina treatment plan based on the severity of your symptoms, their underlying cause, and your risk of complications. Treatment can include lifestyle changes and medication to relieve symptoms and improve heart function.

If lifestyle changes and medical interventions fail to relieve your angina or you’re at risk of having a heart attack, the team could recommend surgery to treat the underlying cause of your pain. 

Call Advanced Medical Care today or schedule your angina consultation online.