What is the first treatment for angina?

Angina is chest discomfort caused by the heart muscle receiving too little oxygen, often during exertion. Stopping activity reduces the heart’s demand. Glyceryl trinitrate, when prescribed, relaxes blood vessels and can ease an episode. Longer-term care may include medicines that reduce cardiovascular risk, such as blood pressure medication or statin therapy, depending on your history and assessment.

Stop exercising and sit or rest. Use your prescribed glyceryl trinitrate exactly as directed. If the discomfort does not settle promptly, is more intense or frequent than usual, or occurs at rest, call emergency services. Do not drive yourself. Keep a record of triggers, duration, associated breathlessness, and how the prescribed medicine affects the episode. A clinician may arrange an ECG and other tests to clarify the cause.

Call emergency services for chest pressure or pain that is severe, new, prolonged, or different from your usual pattern, especially with sweating, nausea, breathlessness, faintness, or pain spreading to the arm, jaw, back, or shoulder. New or worsening symptoms can signal a heart attack rather than stable angina and should not be monitored at home.

Ask how to distinguish your usual angina from an emergency, when to use glyceryl trinitrate, which tests you need, and whether blood pressure medication or statin therapy is appropriate.