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Symptoms of coronary artery blockage

What does a blocked coronary artery feel like?

What does a blocked coronary artery feel like?

The most common symptom of coronary artery disease is angina (also called angina pectoris). Angina is often referred to as chest pain. It is also described as chest discomfort, heaviness, tightness, pressure, aching, burning, numbness, fullness, or squeezing. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn.

Symptoms of coronary artery blockage

Coronary Arteries work to deliver blood to the heart, and if a coronary artery is blocked, the disease is known as coronary artery disease.

Coronary Artery Disease is a disease in which plaque builds up inside the coronary artery. The plaques are made of fats, cholesterol, calcium and other substances in the blood.

Over time, the plaques harden and narrow the arteries, blocking the arteries feeding the heart and thus limiting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Blockage of the arteries of the heart leads to angina pectoris or heart attack .

Symptoms of coronary artery blockage

Blockage of the heart’s arteries occurs slowly over decades, so you may not notice a problem until a major blockage or heart attack occurs. 

Symptoms of heart blockage include:

1- Chest pain (angina pectoris)

Angina pectoris is the most common symptom of blockage in the arteries of the heart. When too many plaques build up in the arteries, they narrow and cause chest pain because they block blood flow to the heart muscle and the rest of the body.

The patient feels heaviness in the chest, as if someone is sitting on his chest, and this pain occurs in the middle or left side of the chest and may spread to the left arm, neck, jaw or back and stops within a few minutes of rest.

Many describe it as pain, heaviness, numbness or tightness in the chest, and angina occurs after physical exertion or emotional stress.

There are two main types of angina:

  • Stable angina: This is the most common, in which attacks are triggered by stimuli such as exercise and stop within minutes of rest. 
  • Unstable angina: This is a more serious condition, as attacks are unpredictable and can continue despite rest. 

2- Heart attack

If blood flow to part of the heart muscle is cut off, the heart’s energy demands exceed its blood supply and a heart attack occurs. 

Symptoms of a heart attack include:

  • Pressure, tightness, pain or a feeling of pressure in the chest that may spread to the arms, neck, jaw or back.
  • cold sweats;
  • lightheadedness or sudden dizziness;
  • Nausea, indigestion, heartburn and abdominal pain.
  • shortness of breath.
  • coughing; 
  • pallor in the face;
  • Extreme tiredness, anxiety, fatigue.
  • fast or irregular heartbeat 

Symptoms can vary from person to person or from a heart attack to another, and women are more likely to have an upset stomach, shortness of breath, back and jaw pain.

3- shortness of breath

The blockage of the arteries of the heart leads to the heart’s inability to pump blood sufficiently to meet the needs of the body, causing severe chest tightness and intense need for air, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, a feeling of suffocation, and a feeling of fatigue when air is taken out and entered.

Shortness of breath can develop into fatigue and exhaustion.

4- Other symptoms, including:

  • Fatigue: It appears when feeling anxious and tense or doing physical exertion, even if it is slight.
  • Increased heart rate: It is an increase in the number of heartbeats above the normal limit.
  • Swollen legs: It is a common symptom of all cardiovascular diseases.

Coronary artery disease symptoms can be different in women than in men, and women are less likely to recognize symptoms of a heart attack and seek treatment.

Diagnosis of coronary artery blockage

Your doctor performs physical exams and blood tests to detect blockages in your heart’s arteries. Your doctor may do one or more of the following:

  • Electrocardiogram.
  • Echocardiogram.
  • Stress (endurance) test.
  • Cardiac catheterization and angiogram.
  • Heart scan.

source : wikipedia

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