What does shortness of breath feel like with angina?

You may feel unable to take a satisfying breath, need to breathe faster, or become winded while walking uphill, climbing stairs, or carrying something. Angina-related symptoms often settle after resting, but the pattern can vary. Discomfort may spread to the arm, shoulder, neck, jaw, or back, and you may also feel sweaty, nauseated, dizzy, or unusually tired. Breathlessness has many possible causes, so the sensation alone cannot identify the cause.

Stop the activity and sit upright. Follow the angina action plan and prescribed medicine instructions given by your clinician; do not take someone else’s medicine. Note what you were doing, how quickly the feeling started, whether chest discomfort occurred, and how it changed with rest. Arrange medical assessment if this is a new pattern, happens with less activity, lasts longer, or is becoming more frequent.

Call emergency services immediately for severe or persistent breathlessness, chest pressure that does not settle with rest or prescribed treatment, fainting, blue or grey lips, confusion, or sweating with nausea. Seek urgent help too if symptoms begin at rest or feel markedly different from your usual angina. Do not drive yourself if you may be having a heart emergency.

Ask what symptoms belong in your personal angina plan, how to use any prescribed medicine, and whether you need tests to assess your heart and other possible causes of breathlessness.