What is the difference between angina and a heart attack?
Angina, simply put, means pain in the chest. Usually such pain is attributed to a coronary artery condition. Angina typically occurs in individuals who have coronary disease and is the consequence of a partial blockage in an artery supplying blood flow to the muscle of the heart. A heart attack is the consequence of a sudden, complete blockage in an artery usually due to a blood clot or thrombosis. So heart attack and angina relate to the same condition; angina being a milder and temporary form of the same condition. Symptoms of angina include chest pressure which occurs on exertion and is relieved with rest or nitroglycerin. Although occasionally subtle, symptoms of a heart attack often are a more painful burning or heavy feeling in the chest which lasts for more than 20 minutes. Typically, this feeling occurs in the middle of the chest and radiates to the arms, especially the left arm, or shoulder. We have learned that symptoms of a heart attack in women can be much more varied and m
