Angina: Causes, Treatments, and What You Need to Know

When your heart doesn't get enough oxygen, you might feel angina, a type of chest pain that signals your heart muscle is starved for blood. Also known as stable angina, it's not a heart attack—but it's a clear warning sign that something's wrong with your heart's blood supply. This isn't just discomfort. It's your body screaming for help, often triggered by physical effort, stress, or cold weather.

Angina happens because of coronary artery disease, a condition where fatty deposits narrow the arteries that feed your heart. These blockages don't fully cut off blood flow—yet—but they're tight enough to cause pain when your heart works harder. Unlike a heart attack, angina usually goes away with rest or medication like nitroglycerin. But if it starts happening more often, lasts longer, or shows up at rest, it could be unstable angina—a medical emergency.

People often confuse angina with indigestion or muscle strain. But there’s a difference: angina feels like pressure, squeezing, or tightness in your chest, sometimes spreading to your arms, neck, jaw, or back. It’s not sharp or stabbing. And it’s rarely just in one spot. If you’re over 40, have high blood pressure, smoke, or have diabetes, your risk goes up. The good news? You can manage it. Lifestyle changes—like quitting smoking, eating less salt, and walking daily—help. So do medications like beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, or statins. In some cases, doctors recommend stents or bypass surgery to open blocked arteries.

Angina doesn’t mean your heart is failing. It means it’s under stress—and you have power to change that. The posts below cover real-world treatment options, how different drugs compare, what to do when symptoms flare, and how to tell if what you’re feeling is truly angina or something else. You’ll find guides on medications used for heart conditions, what to watch for, and how to avoid complications. Whether you’re managing angina yourself or helping someone who is, this collection gives you the facts you need—no fluff, no guesswork.