Is It Heartburn or a Heart Attack?

Do you know how to tell the difference between heartburn and early signs of a heart attack? If you suffer from chest pain on a regular basis, it’s important that you can determine what’s indigestion and what could be something more serious.

Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux, stomach acid that is flowing back up into your esophagus from your stomach because of a faulty muscle valve. The stomach acid irritates the lining of your esophagus and can cause a burning sensation in your chest cavity, which is often described as heartburn.

Of course, your heart is also located in your chest cavity and chest pain may be a sign of cardiac problems that require immediate medical attention. Symptoms of heart problems include:

• Sudden chest pain that lasts for more than a few minutes. Cardiac chest pain is often described as pressure, tightening, squeezing or crushing pain in the center of the chest.
• The pain spreads to other parts of your body, especially the back, neck, jaw, shoulders or arms. Pain or tingling in the left arm that accompanies chest pain is a common symptom of a heart attack.
• Chest pain that is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness or nausea.
• Chest pain that occurs when you’re doing physical activity or experiencing emotional stress.

If you experience chest pain with any of these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately as you may be suffering from cardiac problems.

Do you need to call your doctor if you have heartburn? Occasional heartburn after a large or spicy meal is not cause for concern. However, if you have heartburn two or more times a week or find yourself taking over-the-counter medications to control your symptoms on a regular basis, you should make an appointment to see your doctor. Regular heartburn is a common symptom of GERD, a disease that can lead to serious health complications if left untreated.