There are three types of angina (chest pain): stable, unstable, and variant. This article will focus primarily on unstable angina, which is when plaque in the blood vessels either ruptures or forms a blood clot, reducing or blocking the blood flow very suddenly. Unstable angina is not relieved by your common medications – rather, it requires emergency treatment.
The primary symptom in unstable angina is severe chest pain, but pain may also be experienced in the shoulders, neck, back, and arms. Unlike stable angina, the symptoms of unstable angina appear randomly and pinpointing the source of the pain may be difficult. For example, pain in stable angina arises with vigorous activity or physical strain. In unstable angina, pain and symptoms may appear even at rest.
