What kind of chest pain is typically relieved by rest or nitroglycerin?

The type of chest pain that is typically relieved by rest or nitroglycerin is angina. Angina is often caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle due to narrowed coronary arteries, resulting in a sensation of pressure or squeezing in the chest. This discomfort usually occurs during physical exertion or stress and is often alleviated by rest or the use of nitroglycerin, which dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow to the heart.

In contrast, a myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack) may present with more severe and persistent chest pain that does not improve with rest or nitroglycerin. Pleurisy, which involves inflammation of the lining of the lungs and chest, typically causes sharp pain that worsens with breathing or coughing. Pneumothorax involves the collapse of a lung and can cause sudden sharp chest pain and difficulty breathing, but like pleurisy, it is not relieved by rest or nitroglycerin.