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What does a small heart blockage feel like?

Small vessel disease signs and symptoms include: Chest pain, squeezing or discomfort (angina), which may get worse with activity or emotional stress. Discomfort in the left arm, jaw, neck, back or abdomen along with chest pain. Shortness of breath.

mayoclinic.org - Small vessel disease - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

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Overview

Small vessel disease Open pop-up dialog box Close Small vessel disease Small vessel disease Clogging or narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart can occur not only in the heart's largest arteries (the coronary arteries) but also in the heart's smaller blood vessels. Small vessel disease is a condition in which the walls of the small arteries in the heart aren't working properly. This reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart, causing chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, and other signs and symptoms of heart disease.

Small vessel disease may also be called:

Coronary microvascular disease

Microvascular endothelial dysfunction

Small vessel disease is treatable but may be difficult to detect. The condition is typically diagnosed after a health care provider finds little or no narrowing in the main arteries of the heart despite the presence of symptoms that suggest heart disease. Small vessel disease is more common in women and in people who have diabetes or high blood pressure.

Symptoms

Small vessel disease signs and symptoms include:

Chest pain, squeezing or discomfort (angina), which may get worse with activity or emotional stress Discomfort in the left arm, jaw, neck, back or abdomen along with chest pain

Shortness of breath

Tiredness and lack of energy

If you've been treated for coronary artery disease with angioplasty and stents and your signs and symptoms haven't gone away, you might also have small vessel disease.

When to see a doctor

Seek emergency medical care if you're having chest pain and other signs and symptoms such as shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, dizziness, or pain that spreads beyond your chest to one or both of your arms or to your neck. It might be hard to tell if some symptoms are due to small vessel disease, especially if you don't have chest pain. See your health care provider to determine the cause of your symptoms. If you have new or unexplained chest pain or think you're having a heart attack, call 911 or emergency medical assistance immediately.

Causes

In coronary small vessel disease, the small arteries don't relax (dilate) as usual. As a result, the heart doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood. Experts think that the causes of small vessel disease are the same as the causes for diseases affecting the larger vessels of the heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes.

Risk factors

Small vessel disease is more common in women than in men. Risk factors for small vessel disease include:

Body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher (obesity)

Diabetes

Family history of the disease, especially in women

High blood pressure

Inactive lifestyle

Increasing age: older than 45 in men and older than 55 in women

Insulin resistance

Polycystic ovary syndrome

Tobacco use

Unhealthy cholesterol levels

Unhealthy diet

Complications

Small vessel disease can make it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. A possible complication of small vessel disease is a heart attack.

Prevention

Things you can do that might reduce your risk of small vessel disease include:

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