What Is Angina Pectoris
Ever had that stabbing pain in your chest (not when you were ditched by your girlfriend, or when you were caught stealing an apple in your kitchen)? You have Angina Pectoris. Angina pectoris is a recurring pain or discomfort in the chest that happens when some part of the heart does not receive enough blood. It is a common symptom of coronary heart disease (CHD), which occurs when vessels that carry blood to the heart become narrowed and blocked due to Atherosclerosis. Insufficient blood supply to the heart is called ischemia.Angina feels like a pressing or squeezing pain, usually in the chest under the breast bone, but sometimes in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaws, or back. 

What Brings On Angina
Angina is usually precipitated by exertion. It is usually relieved within a few minutes by resting or by taking prescribed angina medicine. 
Episodes of angina occur when the heart's need for oxygen increases beyond the oxygen available from the blood nourishing the heart. Physical exertion is the most common trigger for angina. Other triggers can be emotional stress, extreme cold or heat, heavy meals, alcohol, and cigarette smoking. 

Does Angina Mean A Heart Attack Is Imminent
An episode of angina is not a heart attack. Angina pain means that some heart muscle is not getting enough blood temporarily - for example, during exercise, when the heart has to work harder. The pain does not mean that the heart muscle is suffering irreversible, permanent damage. Episodes of angina seldom cause permanent damage to heart muscle. 

In contrast, a heart attack occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is suddenly and permanently cut off. This causes permanent damage to the heart muscle. Typically, the chest pain is more severe, lasts longer, and does not go away with rest or with medicine that was previously effective. It may be accompanied by indigestion, nausea, weakness, and sweating. However, the symptoms of a heart attack are varied and may be considerably milder. 

How Is Angina Diagnosed
Usually the doctor can diagnose angina by noting the symptoms and how they arise. However one or more diagnostic tests may be needed to exclude angina or to establish the severity of the underlying coronary disease. These include the electrocardiogram (ECG) at rest, the stress test, and x- rays of the coronary arteries (coronary "arteriogram" or "angiogram"). 

The ECG records electrical impulses of the heart. These may indicate that the heart muscle is not getting as much oxygen as it needs; they may also indicate abnormalities in heart rhythm or some of the other possible abnormal features of the heart. To record the ECG, a technician positions a number of small contacts on the patient's arms, legs, and across the chest to connect them to an ECG machine. 
Some people, such as those with a coronary artery spasm, may have angina when they're resting. Angina is a sign that someone is at increased risk of heart attack.

What Is Variant Angina Pectoris Or Prinzmetal's Angina
Variant angina pectoris is also called Prinzmetal's angina. Unlike typical angina, it occurs almost exclusively when a person is at rest, and it doesn't follow a period of physical exertion or emotional stress. Attacks can be very painful and usually occur between midnight and 8 a.m. 

Variant angina is due to coronary artery spasm . About two-thirds of people with it have severe coronary Atherosclerosis in at least one major vessel. The spasm usually occurs very close to the blockage.