Heartburn or Heart Attack?
What does heartburn have to do with your heart? Nothing!
Despite its name, heartburn, also called acid reflux or indigestion, is related to your esophagus. But because the esophagus and heart are located near each other, either one can cause chest pain (angina). This is why many people mistake heartburn for angina and vice versa.
What is heartburn?
Heartburn is a common condition that’s caused by stomach acids rising into your esophagus. This can cause chest pain that sometimes moves to your neck, throat or jaw.When in doubt, check it out!
If you’re not sure if it’s heartburn or your heart, seek medical attention right away. It’s easy to confuse the two. So let a health care professional rule out the most severe possibility. This is especially important for women because their heart attack symptoms may not include chest pain.
If you have any of these signs, call 911 and get to a hospital right away:
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
- Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women may have symptoms that are less associated with heart attack, such as:
- Anxiety
- Shortness of breath
- Upset stomach
- Pain in the shoulder, back or arm
- Unusual tiredness and weakness
How to avoid acid reflux.
- Do not use substances such as alcohol or cigarettes.
- Avoid citrus. It can relax the valve between the esophagus and the stomach. This makes it easier for acid to splash up.
- If possible, avoid medications that can cause acid reflux. Some include aspirin, anti-inflammatories, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants and some asthma medications.
- Raise the head of your bed about six inches if you have heartburn at night. This allows gravity to help keep your stomach contents in the stomach.
- Don’t eat three hours before bed. When your stomach is full of food or busy digesting food, try letting it finish before going to bed.
- Lose weight.
- Talk to your health care professional about your symptoms.
