You’ve just eaten a big meal and feel a burning sensation in the centre of your chest. Is it a heartburn? Or could it be more serious, like a heart attack?’
Both heartburn and heart attack symptoms can cause intense feelings in the chest. However, there are significant differences between them. One of the most significant differences is that – a heart attack feels like pressure, tightness or squeezing rather than pain. The feeling may radiate up towards the left shoulder, arm and neck. Meanwhile, heartburn feels like a burning sensation and travels to the throat.
With that said, heart attack symptoms in women can be a bit different than heart attack symptoms in men. Chest pain or discomfort is a common symptom for both genders. However, women may experience silent heart attack symptoms that don’t immediately show up as signs of heart attack.
In this write-up, we will understand the differences between heart attack and heartburn – including their symptoms and treatment options. To know more, keep reading:
What is A Heart Attack?
A heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction, happens when the blood flow to the heart is blocked, and the heart muscles suffocate because of the lack of oxygen. This lack of oxygenated blood damages the heart, especially if a long time passes before you receive any medical help.
Heart Attack Symptoms
Here are some of the common symptoms of heart attack. Anytime you experience these symptoms, don’t ignore or delay them; seek immediate medical emergency help.
- Chest pain or discomfort is often described as pressure, tightness, squeezing or constriction—but not always. (usually in the centre or left side of the chest, lasting more than a few minutes)
- Weakness, light-headedness, or fainting
- Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back
- Discomfort or pain felt in one or both arms and shoulders.
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Bad sweating
Heart attack symptoms in men are different from those in women, with 40% of women reporting that they have experienced similar symptoms to heartburn just before a heart attack. Sometimes, women experience nausea and vomiting along with heart attack symptoms. This is more prone to women above 50 suffering from diabetes or obesity.
What is Heartburn or Indigestion?
Heartburn or indigestion is a burning sensation or discomfort in the stomach caused by difficulty digesting food or feeling overly full. It is caused by acid reflux, which causes pain in the oesophagus, which is just behind the breastbone. Because of its location, this pain is often mistaken for a heart attack.
Heartburn or Indigestion Symptoms
Some symptoms of heartburn include:
- burning sensation in the chest
- pain in the chest
- bloating and discomfort
- belching
- Nausea
- Sore throat
- Bad breath
Black coffee, black tea, alcohol, and fatty foods trigger heartburn. Onions, garlic, dark chocolate, and mint also worsen acid reflux.
Differences Between Heartburns and Heart Attacks
Many times, the symptoms of heartburn are mistaken for heart attack. Also, it is difficult to judge based on symptoms alone. They are not related in any way, and the only common factor between them is that – they cause discomfort in your chest.
These are some of the key distinctions between them:
- Heartburn doesn’t cause sweating, dizziness or fatigue.
- Heartburn worsens when lying down or after eating.
- Heart attacks do not cause bloating or bleaching
- Heart attacks do not go away with antacids.
- If the chest discomfort persists for more than 15 minutes, the situation is serious, and it might indicate heart attack symptoms.
- If you’ve been experiencing an increasing or escalating pattern of chest pain over time, your heart condition requires immediate attention.
Key Takeaways
Heartburn and heart attack symptoms can sometimes feel the same—both cause chest pain, discomfort, and nausea. However, heartburn also leads to pain in the arms, shoulders, and jaws and sweating. On the other hand, heartburn leads to bloating and bleaching.
As mentioned earlier, heart attack symptoms in women are silent and manifest as nausea and vomiting more so than in men. So, this is also a point to bear in mind. Anyone with the potential symptoms of heart attack or pre-heart attack symptoms should seek immediate help. In case of heartburn, over-the-counter antacids can help. Stay tuned to our blog for more such insights related to different types of illnesses.
