Angina: What It Feels Like and What You Can Do

Angina feels like pressure, tightness, or squeezing in the chest. It can also show up as shortness of breath, jaw or arm pain, sweating, or nausea. That doesn't mean every chest ache is angina, but if pain feels heavy, starts with activity, or comes with other warning signs, treat it seriously.

Types, causes, and when to call for help

There are a few common types: stable angina happens with exertion and eases with rest. Unstable angina is unpredictable, may occur at rest, and can be a heart attack warning. Variant (Prinzmetal) angina is rare and caused by a spasm in a coronary artery. The main cause is narrowed coronary arteries from atherosclerosis, but high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and high cholesterol raise the risk.

Call emergency services right away if chest pain is intense, lasts more than 10–15 minutes, or comes with fainting, severe shortness of breath, cold sweat, or pain spreading to the arm, neck, or jaw. Those are red flags for a heart attack.

Simple, practical treatments you should know

If your doctor prescribed sublingual nitroglycerin (NTG) for sudden angina, sit down and place one tablet under your tongue at the first sign of pain. Wait five minutes—if pain doesn’t ease, you may take a second dose and a third at five-minute intervals as advised, but do not exceed the prescribed number. If pain persists after the allowed doses, call emergency services. Important: never take nitrates with erectile dysfunction drugs (like sildenafil) — that can dangerously drop your blood pressure.

Long-term control focuses on reducing heart workload and improving blood flow. Common drug classes include beta-blockers (slow heart rate), calcium channel blockers like nifedipine or amlodipine (relax blood vessels), long-acting nitrates, antiplatelet drugs (aspirin or others), ACE inhibitors, and statins to lower cholesterol. Your doctor will pick the best combo for you.

Non-drug steps make a big difference: quit smoking, get moving with heart-healthy exercise after you’re cleared to do so, aim for a Mediterranean-style diet, keep weight in a healthy range, and manage blood pressure and diabetes. Small, consistent changes often cut symptoms and reduce risk.

Your doctor may order tests such as an ECG, stress test, or coronary angiography. If blocked arteries are found, procedures like stenting or bypass surgery may be recommended.

Want more detail on medicines that affect blood vessels? Check our piece on "Nifedipine vs. Amlodipine" for a straightforward comparison of calcium channel blockers. If high cholesterol plays a role for you, read about diet and supplements that can help lower LDL.

If you have angina symptoms, don’t ignore them. Get evaluated, follow your treatment plan, and ask your clinician for clear instructions on emergency steps and medicine interactions—especially around nitrates. Small, concrete actions now can prevent big problems later.