Heartburn or Heart Attack?

Heartburn or heart attack? If you're not sure whether your chest pain is the result of heartburn or a heart attack, consider the other symptoms you may be experiencing. In addition to chest pain, the symptoms of heartburn include a bitter or acid taste in the mouth and the sensation of food or liquid coming up into the throat or mouth. Besides causing chest pain, heart attacks may cause symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and weakness. If you are still unsure whether you are experiencing heartburn or heart attack symptoms, call your doctor or 911.

 

Heartburn or Heart Attack? Or Neither?

Chest pain is a symptom that produces fear in many people. It can be a sign of something very serious and even life-threatening, such as a heart attack. But chest pain can also be a sign of something not so serious, such as a pulled muscle. So it's normal for people with chest discomfort to ask, "Are these heartburn or heart attack symptoms?"
 
To better understand the differences between the two conditions, it is helpful to compare heartburn with a heart attack.
 

Comparing Heartburn and Heart Attack Symptoms

There are many conditions that can cause chest discomfort or pain.
 Other than heartburn or a heart attack, possible causes of chest pain include:
 
  • Stomach ulcers
  • A panic attack
  • Muscle problems
  • Pneumonia.
     
Pain and discomfort in the chest area can be a symptom of heartburn. This pain often is described as a burning sensation that may move up into the neck. Other heartburn symptoms may include:
 
  • A sensation of food or liquid coming up into the throat or mouth (regurgitation), especially when bending over or lying down
  • Bitter or acid taste in the mouth.
     
Pain and discomfort are the main heart attack symptoms. This pain or discomfort:
 
  • Is often described as pressure, squeezing, burning, or tightness in the chest
  • Usually starts in the chest behind the breastbone
  • May also occur in the arms, shoulders, neck, jaw, throat, or back
  • May feel like indigestion.
     
One of the main differences between heartburn and heart attack symptoms is that with a heart attack, a person may also have:
 
  • Nausea
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sweating
  • Light-headedness
  • Weakness.
     
These heart attack symptoms are not normally associated with heartburn.
 
(Heartburn or Heart Attack? Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD