When plaque and fatty matter narrow the inside of an artery to a point where it cannot supply enough oxygen-rich blood to meet your organ's needs, cramping of the muscle occurs. This is called ischemia.

Ischemia of the heart can be compared to a cramp in the leg. When someone exercises for a very long time, the muscles in the legs cramp up because they're starved for oxygen and nutrients. Your heart, also a muscle, needs oxygen and nutrients to keep working. If its blood supply is inadequate to meet the heart muscle's needs, ischemia occurs, and you may feel chest pain or other symptoms.

Ischemia is most likely to occur when the heart demands extra oxygen. This is most common during:

Exertion (activity)
Eating
Excitement or stress
Exposure to cold

Coronary artery disease can progress to a point where ischemia occurs even at rest.

When ischemia is relieved in a short period of time (less than 10 minutes) with rest or medications, you may be told you have "stable coronary artery disease" or "stable angina."

What Are the Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease?

The most common symptom is of coronary artery disease is angina, called or angina pectoris, or simply chest pain. Angina can be described as a discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, numbness, fullness, squeezing or painful feeling. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn. Angina is usually felt in the chest, but may also be felt in the left shoulder, arms, neck, back, or jaw.

Other symptoms that can occur with coronary artery disease include:

Shortness of breath
Palpitations (irregular heart beats, skipped beats, or a "flip-flop" feeling in your chest)
A faster heartbeat
Weakness or dizziness
Nausea
Sweating

Learn to recognize your heart disease symptoms and the situations that cause them. Call your doctor if you begin to have new symptoms or if they become more frequent or severe. If you or someone you are with experience chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the symptoms listed above, don't wait longer than a few minutes (no more than 5) before calling 9-1-1 to get help.

If you have angina and have been prescribed nitroglycerin, call your doctor or have someone take you to the nearest emergency room if pain persists after taking two doses (taken at five-minute intervals) or after 15 minutes.

Emergency personnel may tell you to chew an aspirin to help break up a possible blood clot, if there is not a medical reason for you to avoid aspirin.

Ischemia, and even a heart attack, can occur without any warning symptoms. This is called silent ischemia. It can occur among all people with heart disease, though it is more common among people with diabetes.

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