A common symptom of heart disease is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood.
In men, angina often feels like pressure or squeezing in the chest. This feeling may extend to the arms. Women can also have these angina symptoms. But women also tend to describe a sharp, burning chest pain. Women are more likely to have pain in the neck, jaw, throat, abdomen, or back.
In men, angina tends to worsen with physical activity and go away with rest. Women are more likely than men to have angina while they're resting or sleeping.
The severity of angina varies. The pain may get worse or occur more often as the buildup of plaque continues to narrow the heart.