Angina clinical manifestations: symptoms and warning signs

Discomfort may spread to an arm, shoulder, neck, jaw, back or upper abdomen. Breathlessness, sweating, nausea, dizziness or unusual fatigue can accompany it, and some people notice these features without prominent chest pain.

A predictable episode brought on by exertion, emotional stress, cold air or a heavy meal and relieved by rest may fit stable angina. The sensation is often described as pressure rather than a sharp pinpoint pain. Symptoms vary, so location or wording alone cannot confirm the cause.

A clinician considers the trigger, duration, recovery pattern, medical history and examination. An electrocardiogram may help assess the heart, although a normal tracing between episodes does not by itself exclude angina.

Stop the activity, sit down and follow the angina action plan supplied by your clinician. If you have prescribed medicine for an attack, use it exactly as directed; do not borrow another person's medicine. Note what you were doing, where the discomfort travelled, associated symptoms and what relieved it.

Arrange medical review for recurring symptoms even when they settle. Treatment may include medicines that reduce the heart's workload, management of blood pressure and cholesterol, and a plan for activity that matches your assessment.

Call UAE emergency services immediately for new or severe chest pressure, symptoms at rest, an episode that is stronger or more frequent than usual, or discomfort that does not settle according to your prescribed action plan. Also seek emergency help when chest symptoms occur with fainting, marked breathlessness, a cold sweat, confusion or sudden weakness. Do not drive yourself.

Ask which features should activate your emergency plan, how to use prescribed attack medicine, whether an ECG or further heart testing is appropriate, and what level of exercise is suitable. Bring a list of medicines and a short record of recent episodes so changes in the pattern are clear.