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Telling the Difference: Heartburn Vs Heart Attack
It can be hard to differentiate between heartburn and a heart attack. This is because heartburn is often felt up within the chest cavity, and sometimes it can hurt a lot. The pain can be just in the chest, or be anywhere from the stomach to the throat and mouth. It can even go up into the line of the jaw. The symptoms of a heart attack can seem a lot like heartburn and indigestion, particularly among women. Sometimes people reach for something to cure their heartburn when they should be making a call to 911.
Spot the Difference
There are ways to tell the differences of heartburn vs. heart attack. Pay close attention to your symptoms. Heartburn is usually that burning pain from your stomach up your esophagus. It often is accompanied by a sour or bitter taste in the mouth. The burning pain is generally heartburn, vs. a heart attack, which would feel more like a prolonged heavy feeling or squeezing pain in your chest. The pain in the chest of pressure is usually associated with heart disease, but it can also be a symptom of irritation to the esophagus. It is generally a good idea to get emergency help whenever you think the problem might be with your heart. If it isn't a heart attach, treat the heartburn. When the contest is of heartburn vs. heart attack, heart attack needs to be addressed first.
There are several other symptoms of a heart attack that would often accompany the heart attack vs. heartburn. These symptoms include: nausea, dizziness, sweating, weakness, shortness of breath, anxiety, pain that spreads up into the jaw, shoulder, or down the arm. Also, if you or a family member has heart disease in their medical history, you should be particularly aware of all symptoms that could be a heart attack.
When considering heart attack vs. heartburn, also consider the timing. Though heart attacks can come on at any time, they are often triggered by exercise. Heartburn often flares up after a meal, typically 30 to 60 minutes later. Also, the pain is worse while lying down, bending forward, or straining, and better when standing up, swallowing saliva or water, or taking antacids, for heartburn, vs. heart attacks, which do not get better with those things. Heart attacks continue to be painful and be a squeezing feeling in the chest. Sometimes the pain also radiates down the arm, which heartburn never does.
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