This disease develops over several decades so patients typically do not begin to experience symptoms until the blood flow to the heart is reduced due to plaques. The three main symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, and heart attack.
Shortness of breath: When a patient experiences this symptoms they will feel like they cannot catch their breath. They may also feel severely fatigued after physical activity.
Chest pain: The chest pain associated with this disease is often described as someone standing on the chest, tightness, and pressure. Emotional or physical stress tends to trigger this symptom and it generally subsides within minutes of alleviating the stress.
Heart attack: Patients who are having a heart attack may experience pain in the left arm or shoulder, shortness of breath, a crushing pressure in the chest, and sweating. This is a medical emergency.
