Coronary Artery Disease

Symptoms

Coronary artery disease (CAD)symptoms and severity varies. CAD may produce no symptoms; it may cause shortness of breath or chest pains; or it may result in a heart attack and death. Lack of adequate blood flow produces an oxygen-starved condition in the heart called ischemia. Symptoms of ischemia are:

• Chest Pain
  The lack of oxygen causes chest pain (angina or angina pectoris). This pain feels like a crushing pressure or tightness, and is usually brought on by physical or emotional stress. The pain typically subsides within minutes of stopping the stressful activity, but it indicates that coronary artery disease may be present.
• Shortness of Breath
  When the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, the body can signal the problem in several ways, including extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling of the feet and ankles.
• Heart Attack
  A heart attack is an extreme condition of ischemia in a portion of the heart muscle. If the condition is not relieved within a few minutes, the oxygen-starved tissue will die. Symptoms of a heart attack include sweating, chest or arm pain that does not go away, and fainting.