A tight, squeezing or pressing feeling in the chest while climbing stairs on a cold morning that settles after a short rest could be angina. The UK National Health Service (NHS) describes angina as pain or tightness, usually in the chest, and says it can be a sign of a heart problem, so see a GP as soon as possible if you think you have it. Attacks usually last less than 10 minutes and should stop after resting for a few minutes or taking angina medicine. The NHS lists exercise, stress, emotion and cold temperatures as common triggers — one reason to know this in winter. Here are the attack steps, when to call 999, risk factors and prevention from the NHS angina page.
1. Sudden tightness, squeezing, pressure or dull ache in the chest, neck, shoulders, jaw or arms, usually gone within 10 minutes. Triggered by exercise, stress, emotion or cold.
2. If diagnosed: stop and rest → prescribed medicine (usually GTN) → another dose after 5 minutes if needed → still there 5 minutes after the 2nd dose: 999.
3. Chest pain that won’t stop with rest, pain spreading to arms, neck, jaw or back, or sweating, sickness or breathlessness could be a heart attack — call 999.
Symptoms — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Sudden pain in the chest, neck, shoulders, jaw or arms | Not only the chest |
| What it feels like | Tightness, squeezing or pressure, or a dull ache | — |
| Alongside | Feeling sick, breathless, dizzy or sweaty | — |
| How long | Usually less than 10 minutes; should stop with a few minutes’ rest or medicine | Called an angina attack or episode |
| Triggers | Exercise, stress, emotion or cold temperatures; sometimes no obvious trigger | Take care with uphill walks or lifting in cold air (ours) |
Treating an angina attack — if diagnosed
If you’ve been diagnosed with angina and get chest pain, the NHS says to follow the instructions you’ve been given, in this order.
| Step | What the NHS says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stop and rest | — |
| 2 | Use your prescribed medicine — usually glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) | Often a spray or under-the-tongue tablet |
| 3 | If the first dose doesn’t help, another dose after 5 minutes | — |
| 4 | Still symptoms 5 minutes after the 2nd dose: call 999 | 10 minutes from the first dose (our sum); 119 in Korea |
Call 999 now — NHS
| Situation | NHS advice | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosed with angina and chest pain that doesn’t stop after rest or medicine | 999 now | — |
| Sudden chest pain or discomfort that doesn’t go away — squeezing, pressure, burning or like indigestion | 999 now | Easy to mistake for indigestion |
| Pain spreading to the left or right arm, neck, jaw, shoulder, stomach or back | 999 now | — |
| Chest pain with sweating, sickness, light-headedness or shortness of breath | 999 now | — |
You could be having a heart attack and need immediate hospital treatment, says the NHS. Do not drive yourself to A&E; the 999 call handler will tell you what to do. In Korea the equivalent is 119 (ours).
Get help from NHS 111 — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Coming and going | Chest pain or other angina symptoms that come and go | Don’t leave it even before a diagnosis |
| Worse than before | Diagnosed angina that feels worse, more often, longer, or happens at rest | The pattern has changed — tell your heart clinic promptly (ours) |
At your appointment — NHS
If a GP thinks you may have angina, you’ll be referred to a heart specialist (cardiologist). Tests may include blood tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG), checking blood oxygen, and scans such as an angiogram, MRI or CT.
Causes and risk factors — NHS
Angina happens when the heart doesn’t get enough blood, usually from coronary heart disease, where the vessels supplying the heart narrow or block with fatty deposits. It can also come from heart vessels tightening when they shouldn’t (vasospastic or microvascular angina).
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Age and sex | Men aged 45 or over, women aged 55 or over | Women’s threshold is 10 years later (our sum) |
| Lifestyle | Smoking, more than 14 units of alcohol a week, obesity or overweight | Units: see the calculator below |
| Other conditions | High blood pressure or cholesterol, previous heart problems such as a heart attack or arrhythmia, diabetes, arthritis, kidney disease | — |
| Family | Close relatives with heart problems | — |
Units per drink can be worked out in the alcohol unit calculator.
Treatment — NHS
Medicine comes in three kinds: to treat an attack (GTN), to lower the chance of attacks (such as beta blockers), and to reduce stroke and heart attack risk (such as low-dose aspirin or statins). Surgery to increase blood flow to the heart — coronary angioplasty or a bypass — is sometimes recommended.
Preventing attacks — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Avoid triggers | Avoid triggers like stress, cold temperatures or large meals as much as possible | Scarf and gloves in winter; don’t step straight into the cold (ours) |
| Medicine | Always carry your angina medicine and use it as told | Spare supply when travelling |
| Smoking, weight, diet | Try to quit smoking, keep a healthy weight, eat a balanced diet | — |
| Activity | Be as active as your symptoms allow | Ask a doctor before a new activity |
| Alcohol | Cut down if you drink more than 14 units a week | — |
Living with angina — NHS
Angina means a higher risk of heart attack or stroke, so treatment and healthy changes matter. With treatment symptoms should improve and may eventually stop. Well controlled, angina usually lets you carry on with most things, including exercise and sex, though jobs with heavy physical work or driving buses, coaches or lorries may be affected — talk to your doctor.
Checklist
- ☐ Chest, jaw or arm tightness that settles with rest: see a doctor
- ☐ If diagnosed: medicine always on you; rest → dose → 5 min → dose → 5 min → 999 (119 in Korea)
- ☐ Pain that won’t stop or spreads, sweating or breathlessness: emergency now — don’t drive
- ☐ More often, longer or at rest: get advice promptly
- ☐ In winter avoid cold, large meals and stress
Questions that remain
How is it different from a heart attack?
The NHS page says an angina attack usually stops within 10 minutes with rest or medicine, and pain that won’t stop or spreads, with sweating, could be a heart attack. Warning signs are also in heart attack warning signs.
Can I exercise on cold days?
The page says both “be as active as your symptoms allow” and “avoid triggers such as cold temperatures”. Speak to a doctor before taking up a new activity or if you’re worried.
Sources
- NHS — Angina — source (page shows: reviewed 18 March 2025, next review due 18 March 2028; checked 2 November 2026). Symptoms, attack steps (GTN 5 minutes apart), 999 and 111 criteria, appointment and tests, causes and risk factors, treatment, prevention, living with angina.
- Not read. British Heart Foundation booklets, the video transcript, Korean angina guidance.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean care gloss.
Where to check further
- A cardiologist — tests and medicine.
- 119 in Korea — chest pain that won’t stop (ours).
Written on 2 November 2026. The content is from the NHS; the glosses are ours.
