Angina (say: "ann-jie-na") is a squeezing pain or a pressing
feeling in the chest. It is most often caused by blockages in
the arteries that supply blood to your heart. This is called
coronary artery disease, or heart disease. Angina can bother you
when you are doing activities like walking, climbing stairs,
exercising or cleaning. The pain of angina may make you sweat or
make it hard to catch your breath. You may feel pain in your
arm, neck, jaw or shoulder as well as in your chest. If the pain
is mild, it may go away after a minute or so of rest. If the
pain is more severe, medicine may be needed. Often, a medicine
called nitroglycerin is used to treat severe angina. Some people
have angina that comes on with a certain level of activity and
goes away easily. They may have this kind of angina for a long
time. This is called stable angina. When the pattern of angina
changes a lot, it's called unstable angina. This is a sign of
danger. More episodes of angina with less exertion, angina that
comes on while you'