"'Angina: when it feels like a heart attack, but it's not--yet.' If angina had a slogan THAT could be it.Angina is generally a symptom of coronary artery disease, causing chest pain or discomfort that is triggered when the heart muscle isn't getting enough blood. It is sometimes accompanied by indigestion, heartburn, weakness, sweating, nausea, cramping and shortness of breath. There are three types of angina related to blocked coronary arteries: unstable, stable and variant, as noted by the National Institutes of Health. Unstable angina is the most dangerous form because: *it is unpredictable, * it can happen even without any exertion, * it DOESN'T go away with rest or medication * and it's a sign that you may have a heart attack soon. Unstable angina is usually triggered by the formation of blood clots that partially block blood flow, partially dissolve, and then later form again. It's this seemingly random pattern that makes this form of angina so UNstable. Every time a clot blocks an artery, the pain of angina can occur.Stable angina, also known as effort angina, typically appears during periods of physical activity such as walking, heavy lifting or running. Emotional stress, exposure to very hot or cold temperatures, heavy meals and smoking can also trigger episodes. Symptoms such as chest pain can last for several minutes after activity is stopped. Variant angina is RARE and is caused by muscle spasms in the lining of coronary blood vessel walls. It usually happens while a person is at rest, typically sometime between midnight and early morning. It happens most often in people who have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, but it can also be triggered by alcohol withdrawal, emotional stress, cold weather, certain medications that constrict blood vessels, and certain stimulant drugs such as tobacco, amphetamines or cocaine. While angina is often a sign that the BIG arteries that feed blood to your heart are narrowed by plaque, sometimes it can be a sign of MICROvascular disease-also called cardiac syndrome X and non-obstructive CHD coronary heart disease. Reduced blood flow through the TINY blood vessels that supply the heart muscle can be caused by plaque in the arteries, artery spasms, or a damaged or diseased artery. Microvascular angina can be more severe and last longer than other types of angina.Studies have shown that coronary microvascular disease is more likely to affect women than men. And medicine may not relieve this type of angina. To find out how angina is diagnosed and treated, check out other videos on this site."

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