How to Identify Angina Pain and a Heart Attack

Often people face pain in the chest, which they consider as a heart attack, but which eventually turns out to be an angina pain. It is important to identify an angina pain from a heart attack, otherwise it can lead to a lot of panic. Also the treatment of the two being different, one should not be confused with the other. Here are some important points about a heart attack and an angina pain which will help you to recognize one from the other and as a result, the proper treatment could be done.

how to identify angina pain and a heart attack

Difference Between Angina Pain and Heart Attack

It is true that both angina and a heart attack is the manifestation of the same problem. One is more severe than the other.

  • The definition of angina could be a severe pain in chest that eventually spreads to arm and shoulder. Angina pain is caused by imbalance of demand and supply of blood inside the heart. When the blood supply is inadequate it may lead to angina attack.
  • Heart attack on the other hand takes place when the process of less blood circulation in the heart continues for a longer period of time.  This goes on to cause a permanent damage in the muscles of the heart. It can be said thus, that angina is a warning sign from your heart.

How to Spot Heart Attack and Angina?

There are some symptoms of a heart attack and an angina from which you can identify them. In the case of a heart attack the symbols are as follows-

  • Heart attack can be a sudden and intense occurrence. If you feel a pressure, severe pain or a feeling of being squeezed in the chest area, your neck, your jaw line and the arms, then odds are that you might be having a heart attack.
  • The pressure or pain will be combined with a feeling of breathlessness if you are going to have a heart attack.
  • Sudden perspiration with pain or shortness of breath could also imply that you are having a heart attack.
  • Alongside you could also feel nauseated and there can be vomiting tendency.

There Some Distinctive Symptoms of an Angina Attack. Here are Some of these Signs.

  • In the case of angina, while doing some physical activity, the chest may hurt. This means that due to the activity you are having a problem of getting adequate blood and oxygen in the heart.
  • The chest pain lasted for about 5 minutes or less is a sign that you might have a angina pain.
  • The feeling that you get in your body is something similar to the one you get when you have indigestion.
  • If the pain subsides when you rest a bit or, with the consumption of some heart medicine, it means that you have angina pain.

It is important to identify which is the cause of your trouble and accordingly try to get some expert’s attention and advice on the issue.