
If you haven’t eaten in several hours, your symptoms are less likely to be reflux-related. With heartburn, symptoms are most likely to occur within a couple of hours after eating.For a heart attack, sitting up straight and antacids usually don’t improve symptoms.For heartburn, sitting up straight and taking antacids usually helps to ease the pain.Healthline outlines four ways to differentiate a heart attack from heartburn: Now that you understand the differences between a heart attack and heartburn, it’s time to elaborate on the differences in symptoms. Shortness of breath that comes before or during chest discomfortĪlthough some of the symptoms listed above overlap within the two conditions, the sensations themselves vary.Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, or in one or both arms or shoulders.Feeling weak, light-headed, faint, or breaking out in a cold sweat.Generally, this discomfort feels like an uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Chest pain or discomfort in the left or center of the chest.The major symptoms of a heart attack include:

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of heart attacks and affects roughly 18.2 million adults aged 20 and older. What’s A Heart Attack?Ī heart attack occurs when there is a lack of blood flow to a part of the heart muscle. However, despite its name, heartburn does not affect the heart in any way. In some cases, severe heartburn can be problematic because pain and tightness in the chest may make some people feel like they’re having a heart attack. Symptoms can range in severity but are almost always uncomfortable. In fact, between 20% – 30% of Americans experience heartburn every week. Heartburn is a common condition that nearly everyone will experience at some point in their life. Here at Birmingham Gastroenterology, we know heartburn well. We aim to help you become familiar with the differences to ensure you get the proper treatment you need. Birmingham Gastroenterology wants to ensure you understand how a heart attack and heartburn can both cause chest pain and consider their causes. The sudden onset of chest pain may cause some panic, and rightfully so. Although entirely different, these two conditions have an overlapping and alarming symptom: chest pain. Heartburn is related to your esophagus and is due to irritation caused by stomach acid. *If at any time you think you are having a heart attack, call 911 or seek medical attention immediately.Ī heart attack and heartburn both deal with your heart, right? Wrong! In fact, heartburn has nothing to do with your heart.

Esophageal Motility Disorder Infomation.
