Acid reflux is a common name for gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. During an attack of GERD, the liquid contents of the stomach back up into the esophagus, resulting in inflammation, burning and pain. GERD is nearly always a chronic condition, but the severity and frequency of symptoms may vary. Sometimes, acid reflux may cause symptoms similar to those experienced during a heart attack.
Significance
According to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), approximately 21 million Americans suffer from GERD, and 60 percent of patients with non-cardiac chest pain who visit emergency rooms suffer from some degree of acid reflux.
Symptoms
Patients with may experience chest pain or a feeling of food being trapped behind the breastbone. According to Harvard Medical School, this pain may be difficult to differentiate from the pain caused by a heart attack.
Differences
According to the Highland GERD Institute, the length, type and severity of chest pain are clues to the cause. Severe, squeezing or pressing pain is more likely caused by a heart attack, as is pain that radiates to the jaw, neck, arm, shoulders or back.
Warning
Chest pain or pressure, when accompanied by sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath or nausea, should be treated as an emergency. According to the Mayo Clinic, these symptoms indicate a cardiovascular event.
Considerations
More than half of the 5 million people who seek emergency treatment for chest pain are not having a heart attack, according to the IFFGD.
Tags: heart attack, acid reflux, caused heart, caused heart attack, chest pain