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Angina feels like a discomfort or pain, usually in your chest. It typically starts when you do something active and goes away when you rest.

But angina affects different people in different ways. Here's a list of the most common ways people describe how it feels.^{1 2}

• It can feel like a weight on your chest or like a squeezing, crushing or gripping sensation.
• Some people say it's more of a discomfort than a pain, or more of a feeling of pressure or strangling.³
• The feeling is usually in the middle of the chest, spreading out to both sides.
• But you can also get it in your neck and jaw, or less often in your back. Or it might go down one or both of your arms and make them feel heavy.
• You may feel as if you have indigestion.
• The pain might also start somewhere else and only later spread to your chest.
• You may be more and more breathless and sweaty. Or you may feel sick to your stomach or exhausted. Sometimes being breathless is the only symptom.
• But some people have only a slight discomfort. And others don't get any discomfort at all. They just feel that they have to stop whatever they're doing, like walking.
• You might also feel uneasy and anxious.

If you have stable angina, the discomfort or pain typically starts when you do something active, like walk up a hill, go up stairs or work in the garden. It can also start when you eat a heavy meal, go out in cold weather, or get angry, upset or excited.

You get symptoms regularly and you usually know when they're going to happen because of what you are doing. (In another type of angina, called unstable angina, you get symptoms while doing less. You can even get symptoms when you're not doing anything. To learn more, see Other types of angina.)

How much activity it takes to bring on an attack can vary a lot, even in the same person. For example, you might find that you can do a lot less in the early mornings. And you might find that only a little exercise brings on an attack, but after a rest you can do much more.

Usually, the discomfort of angina goes away when you stop and rest. It typically lasts between one minute and three minutes. It might take longer to go away after you've been angry or upset. If you have discomfort that lasts only a few seconds or a dull ache lasting for hours, it's probably not angina.²

Not everyone's angina is the same, but your angina will have a similar pattern every time you have an attack. It's important to recognize what brings on your angina and what your pattern is like. This will help to treat it. And it will help you tell if something more serious is happening.

Tell your doctor about any changes in the pattern of your angina. Your medication might need to be adjusted or you might need more tests. And get medical help right away if your discomfort or pain:

• Comes on more often than usual
• Lasts for longer than usual
• Comes on when you are resting or in bed
• Is worse than usual
• Doesn't go away, even after you've taken your angina medicine under your tongue three times.

These could be signs that you will have a heart attack soon.

Pain in your chest isn't always angina. You can also get chest pain from conditions that don't affect your heart. But only your doctor can say for sure, so be sure to get it checked out. For more, see Other causes of chest pain.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.