Angina in Grand Rapids, MI: Symptoms, Treatment, and Local Heart Care

Angina is a type of chest pain or discomfort that happens when your heart muscle does not get enough oxygen-rich blood. It is usually a symptom of coronary heart disease (CHD), where the coronary arteries become narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits (plaque).

In Grand Rapids and across West Michigan, heart disease is one of the most common serious health problems, especially during the cold winter months when blood vessels constrict and blood pressure can rise. Understanding angina and knowing when to seek help is essential for you and your family.

What Is Angina?

Angina is not the same as a heart attack. Unlike a heart attack, angina:

  • Does not cause permanent damage to the heart muscle
  • Is usually temporary and improves with rest or medicine

However, angina is a warning sign that your heart is under stress and that you are at higher risk of a future heart attack.

What Does Angina Feel Like?

People in Grand Rapids describe angina in many different ways. It may feel like:

  • Heaviness, pressure, tightness, or squeezing in your chest
  • Discomfort rather than sharp pain
  • A feeling of “someone sitting on my chest”

You may feel this discomfort:

  • In the center or left side of your chest
  • In your shoulders, back, neck, jaw, or arms

Some people have chest discomfort without obvious pain, especially older adults and people with diabetes.

Other Symptoms of Angina

Along with chest discomfort, angina can cause:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea or indigestion-like discomfort
  • Sweating
  • Fatigue or unusual tiredness
  • Dizziness or light-headedness

Talk to a doctor in Grand Rapids right away if your angina:

  • Happens at night or wakes you from sleep
  • Occurs while you are resting
  • Is getting more frequent, more severe, or lasting longer

Common Angina Triggers in West Michigan

Angina often occurs when your heart is working harder than usual and needs more oxygen than narrowed arteries can deliver. Common triggers include:

  • Physical exertion (climbing stairs, shoveling snow, brisk walking)
  • Emotional stress (work stress, family conflict, financial worries)
  • Cold temperatures, which are common in Grand Rapids winters
  • Eating a large meal
  • Sudden intense activity if you are not used to it

Because Grand Rapids experiences long, cold winters and icy conditions, activities like snow shoveling can be especially risky for people with heart disease.

Types of Angina

There are several types of angina, and your cardiologist in Grand Rapids may use these terms:

Stable Angina

  • The most common type
  • Usually triggered by physical activity or emotional stress
  • Symptoms are predictable (for example, always when walking quickly or climbing a hill)
  • Typically improve within a few minutes of rest or angina medicine

Unstable Angina (Medical Emergency)

  • Can occur at rest or with minimal activity
  • Symptoms may be more severe, last longer, and not improve with rest or usual medicine
  • May come on suddenly or get worse over time

Unstable angina is an emergency and can be a warning sign of an impending heart attack. Call 911 immediately if you suspect unstable angina.

Vasospastic Angina (Prinzmetal or Variant Angina)

  • Less common, often severe
  • Caused by spasms in the coronary arteries, which temporarily narrow them
  • Often occurs at rest, sometimes at night
  • Usually relieved with specific medicines that relax blood vessels

Microvascular Angina

  • Also called cardiac syndrome X
  • Related to problems in the smallest blood vessels of the heart (coronary microvascular disease)
  • Pain can be more severe and last longer than stable angina
  • More common in women, including post-menopausal women

What To Do If You Have Angina Symptoms

If you have been diagnosed with angina and your doctor has prescribed angina medicine (such as glyceryl trinitrate/GTN), follow this step-by-step action plan.

Step 1: Stop and Rest Immediately

  • Stop what you are doing and sit or lie down.
  • Try to stay calm and breathe slowly.

Step 2: Take Your Angina Medicine

If rest does not relieve your symptoms:

  • Take one dose of your prescribed angina medicine (spray or dissolvable tablet).
  • Sit or lie down first because the medicine can make you feel dizzy.

For tablets:

  • Place the tablet under your tongue and let it dissolve. Do not swallow it whole.
  • Take the smallest dose that works for you (a full, half, or quarter tablet, as directed by your doctor).

Step 3: When Symptoms Stop

  • Once your symptoms have stopped, spit out any remaining part of the tablet.

Step 4: Wait 5 Minutes

  • If your angina continues after 5 minutes, take another dose of your angina medicine.

Step 5: Wait Another 5 Minutes

  • If symptoms still continue, tell someone nearby how you are feeling or call a relative or friend.

  • If your chest pain is severe, getting worse, or not improving:

    Call 911 immediately. Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

Step 6: Call 911 if:

  • Your chest pain or discomfort is not completely relieved within 10 minutes
  • Your symptoms are severe or getting worse quickly
  • Your angina is happening with less exertion than usual
  • Your pain feels different from your usual angina

Ask for an ambulance and do not hang up. Follow the advice of the operator. In Grand Rapids, you will likely be taken to a nearby emergency department such as:

  • Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) Butterworth Hospital
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids Hospital
  • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health

Risk Factors for Angina and Coronary Heart Disease

Several factors increase your risk of developing coronary heart disease and angina. Many of these are common among adults in Michigan:

  • Unhealthy eating patterns (high in saturated fat, salt, and processed foods)
  • Excessive alcohol use
  • Physical inactivity
  • Tobacco smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke
  • Overweight or obesity
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Diabetes or poorly controlled blood sugar
  • Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression
  • Increasing age
  • Being male or a post-menopausal woman
  • Family history of coronary heart disease

In West Michigan, cold weather, indoor inactivity in winter, and higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure can all contribute to angina risk.

How Angina Is Diagnosed in Grand Rapids

If you have chest pain or symptoms suggestive of angina, your Grand Rapids doctor or cardiologist will:

  • Review your symptoms
  • Ask about your medical and family history
  • Perform a physical examination

They may also order tests such as:

  • Blood tests – to measure cholesterol, blood sugar, and other markers of heart disease
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG) – measures the electrical activity of your heart
  • Exercise stress test – ECG monitoring while you walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike; the test is stopped if you develop angina
  • Coronary angiogram – a long, thin tube (catheter) is inserted into an artery in your wrist (or groin) and threaded to your heart. Dye is injected and X-ray images show where coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked.

These tests are commonly performed at major Grand Rapids hospitals such as Corewell Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, and Metro Health – University of Michigan Health.

Treatment for Angina in Grand Rapids, MI

Goals of Angina Treatment

Treatment aims to:

  • Reduce the frequency and severity of angina episodes
  • Improve your quality of life and ability to be active
  • Lower your risk of a heart attack and other complications

Most people are treated with a combination of medicines, lifestyle changes, and sometimes surgery or procedures.

Medicines for Angina

Common medicines used to treat and prevent angina include:

  • Nitrates (e.g., glyceryl trinitrate/GTN)

    • Widen blood vessels and increase blood flow to your heart
    • Available as sprays, tablets, patches, or long-acting forms
    • Some are used to relieve angina attacks; others are taken every day to prevent them

  • Antiplatelet medicines

    • Reduce the risk of blood clots forming in narrowed arteries

  • Beta blockers

    • Lower blood pressure
    • Slow and regulate heart rate and rhythm

  • Calcium channel blockers

    • Relax and widen blood vessels
    • Increase blood flow to the heart and lower blood pressure

  • Cholesterol-lowering medicines (statins and others)

    • Reduce cholesterol levels
    • Slow or prevent plaque build-up in arteries

Always take your medicines exactly as prescribed by your Grand Rapids doctor or cardiologist to:

  • Prevent and manage angina
  • Lower your risk of heart attack and stroke
  • Improve long-term heart health

If you have diabetes, your doctor will also work with you to manage your blood sugar, as this is critical for heart health.

Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent and Manage Angina

Lifestyle changes are a key part of angina treatment and heart disease prevention in Grand Rapids:

  • Quit smoking and avoid second-hand smoke
  • Be physically active most days of the week (as advised by your doctor)
  • Follow a heart-healthy eating pattern, such as the Mediterranean or DASH diet
  • Drink less alcohol
  • Maintain a healthy body weight
  • Manage your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar
  • Look after your mental health – address stress, anxiety, and depression

Local resources such as the Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health can provide support for smoking cessation, healthy eating, and chronic disease management programs.

Because winters in Grand Rapids are long and cold, talk to your doctor about safe indoor exercise options, such as walking in malls, using home exercise equipment, or community fitness programs.

Surgical and Procedure Options for Angina

Some people with angina may need a procedure or surgery if medicines and lifestyle changes are not enough to relieve symptoms or if there is significant blockage in the coronary arteries.

Coronary Angioplasty and Stent Insertion

  • A balloon-tipped catheter is inserted into a narrowed or blocked coronary artery.
  • The balloon is inflated to open up the artery.
  • A stent (a small wire mesh tube) is placed in the artery to keep it open.
  • The balloon is then removed.

This improves blood flow to your heart and can significantly reduce angina symptoms.

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery

  • A healthy blood vessel (vein or artery) from your arm, leg, or chest is used to “bypass” a blocked coronary artery.
  • The new vessel allows blood to flow around the blockage and reach your heart muscle.

These procedures are performed in specialized cardiac centers, such as those within Corewell Health and Trinity Health Grand Rapids.

Living With Angina in Grand Rapids

Living with a heart condition like angina can be emotionally challenging and may cause:

  • Anxiety
  • Worry about physical activity or future heart problems
  • Stress related to work, family, or finances

If you are worried about your thoughts or feelings:

  • Talk to your GP (primary care doctor) or cardiologist
  • Seek support from family and friends
  • Consider counseling or support groups for heart patients in the Grand Rapids area

Managing stress is especially important during Michigan winters and holidays, when demands and weather-related challenges can increase.

Where To Get Help in Grand Rapids, MI

In an emergency, always call 911.

Local options for angina and heart care include:

  • Your GP (primary care doctor)
  • A cardiologist (heart specialist) in Grand Rapids
  • Emergency department of your nearest hospital
    • Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids Hospital
    • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
  • Kent County Health Department – community health programs, heart health information
  • Grand Rapids Public Health resources and local wellness programs
  • National heart organizations and nurse advice lines (check with your insurance plan or local health system for 24/7 nurse call services)

Key Points About Angina

  • Angina is a symptom of an underlying heart condition, usually coronary heart disease.
  • Unlike a heart attack, angina does not cause permanent damage to the heart muscle, but it is a serious warning sign.
  • People experience angina in different ways; symptoms can range from mild discomfort to severe pain.
  • Other symptoms can include shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, and fatigue.
  • Cold temperatures, common in Grand Rapids, can trigger angina in people with heart disease.
  • There are several steps you should take immediately when you feel angina symptoms: stop, rest, use your medicine as directed, and call 911 if symptoms are severe, last more than 10 minutes, or are different from your usual angina.
  • Treatment with medicines, lifestyle changes, and sometimes surgery can greatly reduce symptoms and lower your risk of a heart attack.

If you live in Grand Rapids or the West Michigan area and have chest pain or think you may have angina, schedule an appointment with your doctor or cardiologist as soon as possible for evaluation and a personalized heart care plan.