The Difference Between Angina and a Heart Attack?

Sitting wind or angina is a disease characterized by chest pain due to the heart muscle not getting enough oxygen from the blood stream. The blood supply to the heart muscle is disrupted due to narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels. Sitting winds can occur suddenly.

Is it angina or a heart attack?

If you are experiencing chest pain for the first time, seek medical attention immediately. If you have already been diagnosed with angina and you are experiencing unusual symptoms, or if your medication isn’t working, see a healthcare provider immediately. You could be experiencing the emergency signs of a heart attack.

Angina symptoms for men and women

Both men and women can experience the same symptoms of angina. These include ‘classic’ chest pain, and pain in the jaw, neck, back or tummy. 
But in general, women are more likely than men to develop:

• less common symptoms like feeling sick, sweaty, dizzy and breathless
• microvascular angina – spasms in the smallest coronary arteries.

Knowing all the symptoms will help you get the treatment you need quickly. 

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

Some controllable risk factors for heart disease are:

• Drinking alcohol. If you drink, limit yourself to no more than 1 drink a day for women, or 2 a day for men.
• Emotional health. Get checked and treated for depression, if needed.
• Exercise. Get plenty of aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming, or bicycling, at least 40 minutes a day, at least 3 to 4 days a week aiming for at least 150 minutes per week.
• Smoking. Do not smoke or use tobacco.
• Stress. Avoid or reduce stress as much as you can.
• Weight. Maintain a healthy weight. Strive for a body mass index (BMI) from 18.5 to 24.9 and a waist smaller than 35 inches (90 centimeters).

Angina and heart attack can feel the same. Both may cause:

• Pain or discomfort that can spread to the chest, jaw, shoulders, arms (mostly the left arm) and back.
• Chest tightness, burning, heaviness, feeling of squeezing or not being able to breathe.

Angina will sometimes cause dizziness, paleness, weakness.

Heart attack symptoms often include nausea or throwing up, weakness, tiredness or sweating.

If you experience chest discomfort, be sure to contact your health care team immediately to set up a complete evaluation and, possibly, tests. If you have stable angina and start getting chest pain more easily and more often, see your health care professional immediately. You may be experiencing early signs of unstable angina.