Heartburn is discomfort or actual pain caused by digestive acid moving into the tube that carries swallowed food to your stomach (esophagus). Typical features of heartburn include: A burning sensation in the chest that may also involve the upper abdomen. Usually occurs after eating or while lying down or bending over.
An indigestion-type pain or a burning sensation in your chest or stomach can be a sign of a heart attack or related heart problem.
A visit to the ER for chest pain can be life-saving. When your chest pain persists, is severe, or is accompanied by shortness of breath, nausea, radiating pain, and changes in heart rate and blood pressure, call 911 immediately.
Heart attack signs and symptoms in men and women: Chest pain or discomfort; Shortness of breath; Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arm, or shoulder; Feeling nauseous, light-headed, or unusually tired.
You want to call 911 if you are having sudden, crushing chest pain or if your chest pain radiates into the jaw or the left arm. You want to call 911 if your chest pain also causes shortness of breath, or dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.
If you've got a burning feeling in your chest just behind your breastbone that starts after you eat, it might be heartburn. The symptoms could last from a few minutes to several hours.
One significant difference is that a heart attack usually feels like pressure, tightness or squeezing—rather than pain. The feeling may radiate up toward the left shoulder, arm and neck. Heartburn tends to feel more like a burning sensation, and it may travel to the throat.
Warning signs and symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, chronic coughing or wheezing, swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and others. Heart failure means the heart has failed to pump the way it should in order to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.
It can be difficult to tell if chest pain is related to the heart or caused by something else. Usually, chest pain is less likely due to a heart problem if it happens with: A sour taste or a sensation of food reentering the mouth. Trouble swallowing.
Heartburn, or acid reflux, is one of the most common causes of painful burning in the chest. The sensation ranges from mild discomfort to intense pain. Heartburn occurs when acid from the stomach travels back up the esophagus.
When you're anxious, your brain sends a surge of adrenaline and cortisol through your body. These hormones immediately trigger a rapid rise in your heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, many people experience chest pain and sweating, or have a hard time breathing.
If your chest pain is centered beneath your breastbone, gets worse with exertion, improves with rest or radiates to both arms, it is more likely to be angina. Chest pain that gets worse when lying down or bending over is more likely to be caused by GERD.
Seek help right away if you have severe chest pain or pressure, especially when combined with pain in the arm or jaw or difficulty breathing. Make an appointment with your health care provider if: Heartburn occurs more than twice a week. Symptoms persist despite use of nonprescription medications.
What causes heartburn that will not go away? Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest. Heartburn for multiple days in a row can result from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a hiatal hernia, Barrett's esophagus, or esophageal cancer.
Chest pain is frightening and must be taken seriously. So know this: If you are having severe discomfort in the chest—especially if the chest pain is radiating to your neck, jaw or arms—and it's accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness and sweating, call 911 immediately.
Physical trauma, costochondritis, and muscle strains are common causes of sternum pain. Conditions such as pneumonia, pleurisy and GERD can also cause pain in nearby tissue that people may mistake for sternum pain.
A silent heart attack is a heart attack that has few, if any, symptoms or has symptoms not recognized as a heart attack. A silent heart attack might not cause chest pain or shortness of breath, which are typically associated with a heart attack.
A completely blocked coronary artery will cause a heart attack. The classic signs and symptoms of a heart attack include crushing chest pain or pressure, shoulder or arm pain, shortness of breath, and sweating. Women may have less typical symptoms, such as neck or jaw pain, nausea and fatigue.
Your emotions should go back to normal in two or three weeks. Some people find it helpful to join a support group where they can talk with others who've been through a similar experience.