Heartburn and chest pain

Posted by Patrick McDowell in Heart Health | Comments Off

Chest pain due to heartburn is often confused with heart attack chest pain.

Below are typical symptoms of heart attack:

Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes.

Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms. The pain may be mild to intense. It may feel like pressure, tightness, burning, or heavy weight. It may be located in the chest, upper abdomen, neck, jaw, or inside the arms or shoulders.

Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.

Anxiety, nervousness and/or cold, sweaty skin.

Paleness or pallor.

Increased or irregular heart rate.

Feeling of impending doom.

So if you have symptoms similar to ones listed above seek emergency help immediately.

 Below are typical symptoms of heartburn:

A burning feeling in the chest just behind the breastbone that occurs after eating and lasts a few minutes to several hours.

Chest pain, especially after bending over, lying down or eating.

Burning in the throat — or hot, sour, acidic or salty-tasting fluid at the back of the throat.

Difficulty swallowing.

Feeling of food “sticking” in the middle of the chest or throat.

Heartburn may cause chronic cough, sore throat, or chronic hoarseness

So use these two lists to distinguish between these different types of pains. Who knows maybe this can save you a life sometime.