When angina pectoris occurs

This mismatch is often noticed when the heart’s workload rises, although symptoms can also occur at rest. Coronary artery narrowing is a common reason for restricted supply, but spasm or problems affecting the smallest heart vessels can also contribute.

Walking quickly, climbing, carrying a load, emotional stress, cold air, or eating a heavy meal can increase the heart’s demand and provoke a person’s usual stable angina. The trigger and effort threshold tend to be recognisable to that individual, although day-to-day variation can occur.

Pressure, heaviness, squeezing, or burning may be felt in the chest and can spread to the shoulder, arm, neck, jaw, back, or upper abdomen. Some episodes feature breathlessness, nausea, sweating, dizziness, or fatigue. Angina may therefore present with more than chest pain alone.

Pause the activity and sit down safely. Use prescribed fast-acting angina medicine according to your clinician’s instructions, and follow the emergency threshold in your personal plan. Never borrow another person’s medicine, and do not resume exertion merely because symptoms have started to ease.

Keep a brief symptom record for follow-up: note the trigger, sensation, areas affected, accompanying symptoms, and response to rest or medicine. A falling exercise threshold or increasing frequency deserves prompt medical review. An ECG and other tests may be selected according to the history and examination.

Contact UAE emergency services for a first attack or symptoms that occur at rest, persist, intensify, happen with less effort, or differ from your established pattern. Call immediately when chest discomfort accompanies fainting, severe breathlessness, cold sweating, confusion, vomiting, or spread to an arm, the jaw, neck, or back. Do not drive yourself.

Ask what mechanism may be limiting your coronary blood flow, which activities are appropriate, and how to recognise your usual stable pattern. Confirm how to take each medicine, what side effects to report, whether blood pressure or cholesterol treatment needs adjustment, and when follow-up testing is planned.