Heartburn And Indigestion – What Are The Symptoms?

People who think heartburn and indigestion are one of the same are wrong. They are definitely not. The symptoms of heartburn and angina and indigestion can be similar, however, and the conditions often occur simultaneously, which can make the identification somewhat difficult.

Symptoms of Indigestion

Indigestion is often described as a feeling of fullness or discomfort while eating or after a meal. There are similiarities between indigestion and heartburn, in the sense that they both involve a burning sensation. The difference being, is heartburn is behind the breastbone and indigestion is felt more in the upper stomach area. An acidic taste in the mouth is also another factor shared both by heartburn and indigestion. Abdominal pain, along with bloating and gas are other indigestion symptoms.

Although heartburn is the leaking of stomach acids into the esophagus, heartburn is often accompanied by indigestion. Indigestion and heartburn do share some underlying causes, however, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and a number of lifestyle conditions, including smoking, stress, alcohol consumption and eating certain foods, eating too much, or eating too fast.
Being pregnant brings with it its’ own problems but unfortunately, for most it can also cause heartburn and indigestion. The uterus expands when we are pregnant, due to the change in hormones; this puts added pressure on the stomach which can contribute in a big way to heartburn and indigestion.

Symptoms of Heartburn

While the causes of heartburn vary from person to person, the symptoms of heartburn are fairly consistent for most individuals. So, what does heartburn feel like? A burning sensation in the chest and even in the throat is the most common identifiable symptom of heartburn. Pain shouldn’t be mixed up with the burning sensation. If you are having pains in the chest that actually move to the arms and shoulders then you should seek medical help immediately as this can be something more serious such as a heart attack~{You could be suffering a heart attack if the pain in the chest radiates to the arms and shoulders; if this is the case seek medical help immediately}~{Seek medical help immediately if the pain in the chest radiates to the arms and shoulders as you could be experiencing a heart attack}~A heart attack could be experienced if the chest pain moves through the shoulders and arms. {If this is the situation, then you should seek medical help immediately}~{Seek medical help immediately, if this is the situation}~{If this is the situation, seek medical help immediately}~Medical help should be sought if this is the situation}~You may be experiencing a heart attack if the pain moves through your chest to your arms and shoulders. If this is the case, seek medical help immediately~{You could be suffering a heart attack if the pain in the chest radiates to the arms and shoulders; if this is the case seek medical help immediately}~{Seek medical help immediately if the pain in the chest radiates to the arms and shoulders as you could be experiencing a heart attack}~You could be experiencing a heart attack if the pain in the chest moves to the arms and shoulders. {If this is the situation, then you should seek medical help immediately}~{Seek medical help immediately, if this is the situation}~{If this is the situation, seek medical help immediately}~Medical help should be sought if this is the situation}.

Other symptoms of heartburn include a hoarse sounding voice, sore throat, acidic or salty taste in the mouth, regurgitation or a feeling that foods are getting stuck in the throat or chest. Heartburn symptoms can last anything from a few minutes upto a few hours and usually will start soom after eating a meal. Often, symptoms worsen when lying down. Most heartburn should respond to antacids. Pain that does not lessen with antacid treatment should be evaluated by a medical professional.

If you experience a pain that worsens along with cold sweats, dizziness and lightheadedness, then you should go immediately to your doctors as you could have other heart problems. Learning to identify the symptoms of heartburn and indigestion is important, particularly if you are at risk for developing heart conditions and of course, knowing the difference between angina heartburn symptoms. If you can recognise the difference between indigestion and heartburn then this will be better for you, as it will leave you in a position to be able to spot more serious conditions. If you encounter unusual symptoms you may otherwise have mistaken for symptoms of heartburn and indigestion, you should seek medical attention immediately.

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