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Chest pain can be scary — especially if you don’t know what it means. Two common types of chest pain are heart attacks and heartburn. And they even have similar symptoms. So how can you tell them apart?
Columbus Batiste, MD, an interventional cardiologist and chief of cardiology at Kaiser Permanente’s Riverside and Moreno Valley medical centers in Southern California, breaks down the symptoms and differences between heart attacks and heartburn below. Plus, find out when to see a doctor.
What is heartburn?
Heartburn is discomfort or pain that occurs when food and stomach acid back up into the esophagus — the tube that leads from the throat to the stomach.
Common signs include:
- A burning sensation in the chest or stomach
- Foul breath and a sour, acidic, or metallic taste in the mouth
- More gas or belching than usual
- Coughing, especially when lying down
- Symptoms that start after eating or lying down
An antacid should help relieve your symptoms. You can also try drinking a glass of water with a spoonful of baking soda stirred in. Is heartburn keeping you from sleeping? Propping yourself up in bed can help.
When to get medical help: Contact your doctor for advice if:
- An antacid doesn’t temporarily ease your symptoms
- This is the first time you’ve had heartburn
- Your symptoms have changed
Risk factors for heart disease
Heartburn or heartburn-like symptoms could be serious if you’re prone to heart disease. Risk factors include:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes or prediabetes
- Smoking
- A family history of premature coronary artery disease
When to get medical help: If you’re suffering from persistent heartburn and have one or more of these risk factors, get medical attention right away.
What are the signs of a heart attack?
A heart attack can happen anytime. It can occur randomly or after physical or emotional stress. And it can last for several minutes or longer. Chest discomfort that goes away in seconds is almost never from a heart attack. Both women and men can feel the well-known warning signs of a heart attack. These are the symptoms you see in movies and TV shows, like:
- Pain, tightness, or pressure in the chest
- Discomfort traveling to the arm, neck, or jaw
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
But for women, “absolutely nothing is typical in terms of heart attack symptoms,” Dr. Batiste says. Warning signs for heart attacks in women could be a general unwell feeling or a few milder symptoms, like:
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Back discomfort
- Lightheadedness
When to get medical help: If you think you're having a heart attack, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
‘Silent’ heart attacks are common
Nearly half of heart attacks appear to have no symptoms.* And these so-called silent heart attacks can be just as serious, says Dr. Batiste. If you have ongoing heartburn with other constant symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath, get immediate medical attention. Especially if you’re at risk for heart disease.
Another cause of chest pain
Angina is pressure in the middle of the chest. It happens when blood flow to the heart decreases, sometimes due to stress. It can feel like indigestion pain and last between 2 and 20 minutes. Usually it stops if you rest or quit the stressful activity. If you’re feeling these symptoms for the first time, seek immediate medical attention.
Learn more about cardiac care at Kaiser Permanente.