Heart Attack or Heartburn? How to Tell the Difference

Without warning, you feel a sudden sharp pain in your chest. For a split second, you might worry that your life is hanging in the balance.

Are you having a heart attack? Or is it heartburn? Here’s how to tell the difference – and why it matters.

Heart Attack vs. Heartburn Symptoms

Because both conditions can produce similar symptoms, many people struggle to distinguish between them. Heart attacks and heartburn may both cause chest discomfort, but they have VERY different implications for your health. A heart attack is a serious medical emergency that requires immediate attention, which makes understanding these symptoms even more critical.

Yes, heart attacks and heartburn often do mimic each other, but there are notable differences. For instance, heartburn typically causes a burning sensation inside your chest, while a heart attack is more likely to cause pain that feels like pressure or squeezing. Heart attack pain may spread to your shoulder, neck, jaw, back, or arms and is often accompanied by:

• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Irregular heartbeat
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating

For heartburn, the pain may move up your throat or intensify when you lie down or bend over, but it doesn’t usually spread to other parts of your body. You may feel like food is coming back into your mouth or have a bitter or acidic taste at the back of your throat.

Heart attack pain is sometimes sudden, but can also come and go or last for several hours. Heartburn typically lasts just a few minutes to a few hours, depending on how long it takes your stomach to digest the food in question (more details below).

Still unsure? That’s okay. Even experienced doctors can’t always tell the difference between a heart attack and heartburn based on symptoms alone – that’s why people who go to the ER for chest pain are immediately given tests to rule out a heart attack, just in case.

Your Heart Attack Risk

A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, usually due to a buildup of fat, cholesterol, or other substances in the arteries or blood clots. Anyone can have a heart attack, but some people are at greater risk than others.

Heart attack risk increases with age, and men are generally at a higher risk than women. Other factors that increase your risk of having a heart attack include:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Obesity
• Lack of exercise
• Unhealthy diet
• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• Stress
• Family history of heart disease

If any of these risk factors apply to you, ask your doctor about lifestyle modifications and medication that can improve your heart health.

Your Heartburn Risk

Heartburn occurs when digestive acid enters your esophagus, the tube that carries swallowed food to your stomach. Heartburn is far less serious than a heart attack and not life-threatening. However, frequent heartburn could indicate a need to change your eating habits.

Spicy, fatty, and acidic foods are known to cause heartburn, along with eating large meals. When your stomach is overly full, it puts pressure on the muscle that prevents digestive acid from backing up into your esophagus, triggering heartburn. People with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) – a condition where the muscle does not function properly – also tend to get heartburn often.

Heartburn can be treated effectively through dietary changes and medication. Ask your doctor to learn more.

What To Do When You Have Chest Pain

Antacids may provide quick relief if you’re experiencing heartburn-related chest pain.

For heart-related pain, chewing an aspirin can help thin your blood and prevent blood clots from getting larger. If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 immediately and ask if you can chew an aspirin until medical help arrives.

You should also seek emergency care right away if you have any of the heart attack symptoms listed above or:

• Chest tightness
• Severe weakness
• Fainting
• Excessive sweating
• Pale or ashen skin

By recognizing the warning signs of a heart attack early, you can take life-saving action and avoid mistaking a critical condition for simple indigestion. And by managing heartburn, you can help prevent unnecessary panic.

Feel Better Faster® at TrustCare

At TrustCare, we’re all heart – and we’re all about protecting yours.

TrustCare urgent care clinics are open seven days a week with no appointment needed, including weekends and holidays. TrustCare also offers primary care, pediatric primary care (TrustCare Kids), and more. Find a location near you today!