Heartburn Angina Symptoms

The symptoms of heartburn and indigestion can mimic those of angina. Angina is chest pain caused by a lack of blood flow to the heart, while heartburn is a burning sensation behind or directly below the breastbone (sternum). There are similar sensations between angina and heartburn, but it’s very important that you are able to distinguish between the two.

Angina can be an indication of heart disease or a sign of a heart attack and therefore requires medical attention. Heartburn, is rarely an urgent matter in mild cases and does not generally require medical attention. Whilst it’s inconvenient and uncomfortable for those who experience it, heartburn is not serious. If episodes are frequent over a long period of time, then more serious conditions can occur. For instance, ulcers can develop from the damage caused by stomach acid in the esophagus and esophageal cancer has been attributed to frequent heartburn.

Heartburn Symptoms – What Does Heartburn Feel Like? And How Long Does Heartburn Last?

The best way to describe heartburn, is that you will feel a burning sensation either in the middle of the chest or direcly below the breastbone. This burning typically responds to antacids and it doesn’t radiate to the arms or shoulders, although the pain can travel up the neck. Due to the fact that heartburn can cause an acid build up in the body, it is likely that you will get a sour salty taste in the mouth which very often will turn into the regurgitation of your food.

Heartburn is caused by the malfunctioning of the lower esophageal sphincter. To differentiate between the two, you need to understand the physiological process first. This can be really helpful. The lower esophageal sphincter acts like a lid that prevents the contents of the stomach from traveling up the esophagus. If this sphincter doesn’t close properly, stomach acids can leak out and into the esophagus, creating the burning sensation classic of heartburn.

Angina Symptoms

Angina is pain in the chest, less like a burning, that frequently radiates down the arms and into the shoulders. Angina can also involve a feeling of tightness and pressure in the chest. Other accompanying factors to angina are; lightheadedness, dizziness and shortness of breath. If you are looking for distinct symptoms between heartburn and angina, then the presence of these symptoms will definitely help you to decide.

Patients experiencing angina may experience heartburn or indigestion as a symptom. Medical attention should be sought if you are experiencing other symptoms of angina other than heartburn, as you could be suffering from somthing more serious.
Angina can occur as a result of stress or immediately following an emotional outburst. While stress is said to be a contributing factor to heartburn as well, angina can be identified if it immediately follows a highly stressful situation and comes on suddenly.

So that you can take proper control of your health, our website gives more information about differentiating between heartburn and angina.

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