Does angina cause shortness of breath?

Angina happens when the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood for its current workload. The resulting discomfort may be felt as pressure, tightness, heaviness or burning in the chest, and it can spread to the arm, shoulder, neck, jaw or back. Breathlessness may occur instead of chest pain or alongside it. It often starts with walking, climbing stairs, emotional stress or cold weather and improves after stopping to rest, although each person’s pattern can differ.

Shortness of breath also has many other possible causes, including asthma, chest infections, anaemia and other heart or lung conditions. Breathlessness on its own cannot identify angina. A clinician may need to ask about triggers, examine you and arrange heart tests based on your symptoms and risk factors.

Stop the activity and sit or rest when breathlessness or chest discomfort begins. If you have been prescribed a fast-acting angina medicine, use it exactly as your clinician instructed. Keep a record of what you were doing, how the sensation felt, how long it lasted and whether rest or prescribed medicine helped. Arrange a medical assessment if this is a new symptom, is becoming more frequent, starts with less activity or occurs at rest.

Call emergency services immediately for severe or rapidly worsening breathlessness, chest pressure that does not settle with rest, fainting, blue or grey lips, confusion, or sweating and nausea with chest discomfort. Do not drive yourself. New breathlessness with pain spreading to the arm, jaw, back or neck also needs urgent assessment because a heart attack and other serious problems can resemble angina.

Ask: Could my breathlessness be related to angina or another heart or lung problem? What symptoms should prompt emergency help? Which activities should I limit while this is being assessed? How should I use any prescribed angina medicine, and what should I do if it does not relieve the episode?