IS IT HEARTBURN OR A HEART ATTACK?

Distinguishing between the two isn't always easy

- CLIFF MINTZ

Chest pain is responsible for between 7 million and 10 million visits each year to emergency rooms in the United States. According to Daniel Kiss, MD, cardiologist at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, chest pain is one of the top reasons people seek care in emergency departments.

The cause of chest pain may be as innocuous as heartburn or something more serious and possibly life-threatening like a heart attack. Distinguishing between the two isn’t always easy and may require a trip to the emergency room (ER) to get an answer.

Although heartburn and heart attack have different causes, the similarity in symptoms, most notably chest pain and discomfort, can make it difficult to distinguish between the two.

What Is Heartburn?

Heartburn is a symptom of indigestion or acid reflux disease, and despite its name, has nothing to do with your heart. It is caused by acid from the stomach moving up into the esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach) and sometimes the mouth. Frequently, heartburn occurs several hours after eating and can be triggered by certain foods (acidic, spicy, fatty) and beverages (alcohol, tea, coffee and carbonated drinks).