¿Qué es la angina?
Blood carries oxygen to the heart and the rest of your body. When your heart doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood, you may experience angina, which is the medical term for chest pain or discomfort. Angina is a warning sign that blood flow to your heart muscle is limited and is most often related to blockages in the heart’s arteries.
Types of angina
How you experience angina depends on the type you have. There are two main types:
- Stable angina: This is the most common form of angina and describes chest pain after physical activity or stress. Also known as angina pectoris, it occurs predictably over two months or longer.
- Unstable angina: Unstable angina is unpredictable and may cause intense chest pain and occurs whether you’re exercising or at rest. Left untreated, unstable angina can result in a Ataque al corazón.
There are also less common types of angina, including:
- Microvascular angina: A condition within the heart’s tiny blood vessels that causes chest pain for long periods. It may occur with rest or exertion.
- Vasospastic angina: A spasm inside the heart causes intense chest pain, often when resting, and may occur in the middle of the night.
Síntomas de angina
The most common symptom of angina is discomfort in the chest that may feel like burning, pressure, squeezing or tightness. Additionally, you may experience:
- Light-headedness
- Náusea
- Dificultad para respirar
- Sweating for no reason
- Cansancio
- Debilidad
In some cases, the pain doesn’t stay confined to your chest. It can radiate into your shoulders, back, neck, jaw or arms. While angina symptoms are always the same, the severity and duration vary based on the type of angina you have.
¿Es angina o un infarto?
Angina is a common heart attack symptom. You should always call 911 if you have concerning chest pain, but here are some key differences between angina and heart attack-related chest pain.
Although scary, angina does not cause permanent damage.
Angina
- No dure más de 20 minutos
- Ocurren con el esfuerzo o la excitación
- Vete con descanso
Ataque al corazón
- Dura más de 20 minutos
- Puede ocurrir sin actividad o excitación
- No te vayas con el descanso
Additional heart attack warning signs include:
- Molestias en la espalda, el cuello, la mandíbula o el estómago
- Estallar en un sudor frío, náuseas o mareos
- Molestias en el pecho
- Molestias en uno o ambos brazos
- Shortness of breath Women and men can experience heart attack symptoms differently.
Learn more about these differences on our women’s heart health page.
What causes angina?
Coronary heart disease, the most common heart disease in America, is the leading cause of angina. It occurs when the arteries build up fat, cholesterol and other substances. The arteries become narrowed or blocked, reducing blood flow to the heart and increasing the risk of developing dangerous blood clots that can cause a heart attack or stroke.
Angina risk factors
Anyone can experience angina. But, your risk for this common heart problem increases with the following:
- Age: The older you get, the higher your risk for most types of angina. However, vasospastic angina often affects younger people.
- Other medical conditions: Chest pain can be caused by anemia (low red blood cells), chronic kidney disease, peripheral artery disease and Miocardiopatía (conditions that affect the heart muscle).
- Family history: Your risk for angina increases if your parents, siblings or other close relatives have experienced angina or other heart conditions.
- Ethnicity: African Americans are more likely to experience angina, especially if they’ve already had a heart attack.
- Particle pollution: Dust particles from farms, construction sites and mines can cause chest pain.
- Sex: Until age 55, men are more likely than women to have heart disease and angina. After that age, women and men are equally at risk.
- Tobacco exposure: Smoking cigarettes and secondhand smoke exposure can lead to chest pain.
- Unhealthy lifestyle: Misusing alcohol or illegal drugs, not managing stress, eating an unhealthy diet, and not getting enough physical activity can increase your risk of angina.
- Work environment: Occupations that expose you to radiation or loud noises, are extremely stressful, or make it difficult to get good sleep, increase your chance of developing angina.
Diagnosing angina
Diagnosing angina begins with a discussion about your personal and family medical history. Your provider will also perform a physical exam to check your blood pressure, pulse and heart rate.
During this exam, your provider may ask you questions about:
- When your chest pain occurs and how long it lasts
- Whether it occurs with certain activities
- What the pain feels like and where it’s located
- If anything helps the pain improve
Depending on the results of your physical exam, your provider may recommend one or more of the following tests.
Análisis de sangre
One common blood test for angina looks for a protein that leaks into the bloodstream when your heart gets damaged. Your provider may also check your cholesterol levels.
Pruebas de estrés
Stress tests evaluate heart performance and blood flow to the heart at rest and during various levels of exercise.
Electrocardiograma (ECG O EKG)
An electrocardiogram records electrical activity in your heart. Abnormalities can suggest heart disease and angina.
Imagen
Various cardiac imaging tests, such as a chest X-ray, cardiac MRI or coronary computed tomography angiography, give providers an inside look at your heart’s function.
Ecocardiograma
An echocardiogram, or echo, gives doctors a closer and more detailed look at the heart’s structure.
Angiograma
An angiogram also offers a closer look at heart structure, but this test specifically helps identify narrow or blocked blood vessels in the heart.
Angina treatment and care options
Unstable angina requires emergency care, as it can lead to a heart attack. Call 911 if you or someone with you experiences unstable angina symptoms.
Stable angina may respond to one or more of the following treatments.
Cambios en el estilo de vida
You can better control stable angina by eating a balanced diet, reaching a healthy weight, exercising regularly, managing stress and not smoking.
Medicación
Certain medications can help manage angina and its symptoms. You may need medication to reduce pain, relax blood vessels or other parts of your heart, lower cholesterol levels or prevent blood clots.
Terapias
Enhanced external counter-pulsation, or EECP, is a non-invasive procedure that can help reduce the frequency or intensity of the angina symptoms you experience.
Cirugía y procedimientos
Surgery can correct an underlying health issue causing chest pain. Common surgeries for angina include coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which improve blood flow by addressing blockages and plaque buildup in the blood vessels and arteries.
Encuentre una ubicación cerca de usted
We help you get heart care at a location that fits your needs. We offer several locations throughout North and Central Texas.
AccentCare - Fort Worth
3880 Hulen St , Fort Worth, TX, 76107
AccentCare Home Health of Brenham
526 W Main St , Brenham, TX, 77833
AccentCare Home Health of College Station
119 Medical Park Lane Ste C, Huntsville, TX, 77340
AccentCare Home Health of College Station
1605 Rock Prairie Rd Ste 206, College Station, TX, 77845
AccentCare Home Health Of Denton
225 W. Mulberry St. Ste A, Denton, TX, 76201
AccentCare Home Health Of Desoto
911 York Drive Ste 203, DeSoto, TX, 75115
AccentCare Home Health Of Fort Worth (Arlington)
700 Highlander Blvd Ste 205, Arlington, TX, 76015
AccentCare Home Health of Huntsville
122 Medical Park Lane B , Huntsville, TX, 77340
AccentCare Home Health of Marble Falls
1100 Mission Hills Dr Ste 100, Marble Falls, TX, 78654
AccentCare Home Health Of McKinney
6800 Weiskopf Ave Ste 100, McKinney, TX, 75070
AccentCare Home Health Of Taylor (Hutto)
567 chris kelley blvd ste 201, hutto, tx, 78634
AccentCare Home Health Of Temple
3809 S General Bruce Dr Ste 105B, Temple, TX, 76502
AccentCare Home Health Of Waco
8300 Central Park Dr Ste A, Waco, TX, 76712
AdventHealth Central Texas
2201 S Clear Creek Rd, Killeen, TX, 76549
Hospital de mujeres Andrews en Baylor Scott & White - Fort Worth
1400 8th Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas, 76104
Baylor Scott & White - Hillcrest Infectious Disease Clinic
50 Hillcrest Medical Blvd MOB1, Ste 104, Waco, TX, 76712
Baylor Scott & White - Centro para el cerebro y la columna vertebral de Plano
4708 Pabellón I de Alliance Blvd, Ste 810, Plano, TX, 75093
Baylor Scott & White - Instituto del Cerebro y la Columna Vertebral de Texas
900 Dr. Scott y White, College Station, Texas, 77845
- Lunes: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Martes: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Miércoles: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Jueves: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Viernes: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Baylor Scott & White - Texas Brain and Spine Institute - Huntsville
122 Medical Park Ln Ste A, Huntsville, TX, 77340
Baylor Scott & White - Clínica Brenham
600 N Park St, Brenham, Texas, 77833
- Lunes: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
- Martes: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
- Miércoles: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
- Jueves: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
- Viernes: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Baylor Scott & White 65+ Clinic
4716 alianza blvd este 500, plano, tx, 75093
- Lunes: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
- Martes: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
- Miércoles: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
- Jueves: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
- Viernes: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Cardiac Imaging Specialists
1100 Allied Dr, Plano, Texas, 75093
Consultores avanzados en diagnóstico cardiovascular y por imágenes de Baylor Scott & White
4708 alianza blvd este 450, plano, tx, 75093
Baylor Scott & White Cuidados Digestivos Avanzados
3434 Swiss Ave Ste 200 Dallas, TX, 75204
- Lunes: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Martes: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Miércoles: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Jueves: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Viernes: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Centro avanzado de enfermedades cardíacas y pulmonares Baylor Scott & White - Fort Worth
1420 8th ave ste 103, fortworth, tx, 76104
Cuidados Avanzados del Corazón Baylor Scott & White - Anna
450 N Standridge Blvd, Anna, TX, 75409
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Care - Decatur
2401 S FM 51 Ste 200, Decatur, TX, 76234
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Care - Denton
3333 Bulevar Colorado, Denton, Texas, 76210
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Care - Idabel, Oklahoma
4 SE Avenida A, Idabel, OK, 74745
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Care - Keller (Satellite)
3124 N Tarrant Pkwy Ste 204, Keller, TX, 76177
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Care - McKinney (Satellite)
5236 w university dr ste 4450, mckinney, tx, 75071
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Care - Mt Pleasant (Satélite)
1011 N Jefferson Ave, Mt Pleasant, TX, 75455
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Care - París
875 S Collegiate Dr , Paris, TX, 75462
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Care - Plano
4716 Dexter Dr Ste 100, Plano, TX, 75093
Cuidados avanzados del corazón Baylor Scott & White - Sherman Sycamore (Satélite)
203 E Sycamore St, Sherman, TX, 75090
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Care - Sulphur Springs
601 Airport Rd Ste 110, Sulphur Springs, TX, 75482
Cuidados avanzados del corazón Baylor Scott & White – Sherman Highland (Satélite)
300 N Highland Ave, Sherman, TX, 75092
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Failure Clinic - Irving
2001 N MacArthur Blvd Bldg 1, Ste 360, Irving, TX, 75061
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Failure Clinic - Abilene
1219 E Sur 11th St Ste B 79602, Abilene, TX, 2
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Failure Clinic - Amarillo
1901 medi park dr ste 2051, amarillo, tx, 79106
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Failure Clinic - Dallas
3410 vale la pena st ste 250, dallas, tx, 75246
- Lunes: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
- Martes: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
- Miércoles: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
- Jueves: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
- Viernes: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Failure Clinic - Longview
906 Calle Judson, Longview, Texas, 75601
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Failure Clinic - Lubbock
3711 22segundo paso b, lubbock, tx, 79410
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Failure Clinic - Midland / Odessa
420 E 6th St Ste 102 Odessa, TX, 79761
Baylor Scott & White Advanced Heart Failure Clinic - Tyler
1321 Avenida S. Beckham, Tyler, Texas, 75701
Clínica avanzada de insuficiencia cardíaca Baylor Scott & White - Waxahachie
2360 N Interestatal 35E MOB 2, Ste 310, Waxahachie, TX, 75165
Especialistas avanzados en insuficiencia cardíaca de Baylor Scott & White - Fort Worth
1250 8th ave ste 200, fortworth, tx, 76104
- Lunes: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Martes: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Miércoles: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Jueves: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Viernes: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
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3410 vale la pena st ste 250, dallas, tx, 75246
- Lunes: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
- Martes: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
- Miércoles: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
- Jueves: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
- Viernes: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Baylor Scott & White Centro Médico All Saints - Fort Worth
1400 8th Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas, 76104
Centro de endoscopia ambulatoria Baylor Scott & White
4708 Pabellón I de Alliance Blvd, Ste 210, Plano, TX, 75093
- Lunes: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
- Martes: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
- Miércoles: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
- Jueves: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
- Viernes: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm