After eating a large meal, and feeling the pain of indigestion, it is often easy to confuse the symptoms of heartburn with those of angina or a heart attack.
The pain experienced during a heart attack and during a severe heartburn episode can be very difficult to distinguish. In fact, it often takes sophisticated medical testing to make the distinction.
In addition to producing some similar symptoms, both heartburn and heart attacks are more likely to occur in people over the age of 40.
Here are some possible differences between the two conditions.
Please note: If you have any chest pain, or any warning signs of a heart attack, seek immediate medical attention by calling 911. Do not try to decide for yourself.
Heartburn vs Heart Attack Symptoms
Typical signs of heartburn may include:
* Burning sensation in the chest, just behind the breastbone. This chest pain usually occurs soon after eating and may last from a few minutes to several hours.
* Chest pain after lying down, eating, or bending over.
* Burning sensation or feeling a hot, sour, salty, or acidic fluid in the throat.
* Difficulty in swallowing.
* A feeling that small amounts of food or liquid are coming back up the throat.
* Chronic heartburn may cause hoarseness, sore throat, or cough.
* During heartburn, chest pain does not usually spread to shoulders, neck, or arms, but it can.
* Heartburn usually responds quickly to antacids or other heartburn treatments.
Heart Attack Risk Factors and Symptoms
A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart is reduced or blocked entirely. This can result in death or disability, depending on how much of the heart muscle is damaged as a result of the blockage. Sadly, many people are not even aware that they are having a heart attack.
Mistaking a heart attack for heartburn can be extremely dangerous. Annually, over 1.1 million Americans experience heart attacks. Knowing when you might be having a heart attack and being able to distinguish a heart attack from heartburn symptoms is critical, particularly for people who are most at risk for heart disease.
Common signals of a heart attack may include:
* Chest pain or discomfort that feels like a belt being tightened around the chest
* Sudden pressure, tightening, squeezing or crushing chest pain that remains longer than a few minutes
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