Experiencing any form of chest pain does not only cause discomfort, but it can also be alarming. After all, chest pain is one of the signs that you might have a heart attack. However, did you know that both gas and heartburn cause chest pain as well?
Read on to learn more about how these conditions cause chest pain.
Can gas and heartburn cause chest pain?
The simple answer is yes, gas and heartburn can cause chest pain.
If you’re experiencing chest pains because of gas, the most common symptom would be a tightness or stabbing pain in your chest. You can also experience a slight burning sensation, and the pain might radiate from your chest down to your abdomen.
Gas can cause chest pain because it can become trapped in your digestive tract. As a result, this causes a buildup of pressure which can trigger chest pain. This is usually triggered by eating certain types of foods. In particular, fermented foods can produce extra gas in your stomach, which can result in chest pain.
What about heartburn?
Chest pain caused by heartburn is similar, but there are also some differences. First off, heartburn can also cause a tightness or stabbing pain in your chest, as well as a burning sensation. However, in the case of heartburn, the burning sensation is much more pronounced, and you’ll usually feel the burning right in the middle of your chest, behind your breastbone.
The reason for this is that when you are experiencing heartburn, the acids from your stomach go up into your esophagus. Usually, mucus protects your stomach lining from these acids, but your esophagus does not have this protection.
This results in a burning sensation because your esophagus is being exposed to stomach acids. The pain can also get worse if you’re experiencing chronic heartburn, because the acid starts to damage the tissues in your esophagus.
Is my chest pain due to heartburn?
Interestingly, there are cases wherein people are not able to determine if the chest pain they were experiencing was a heart attack or just gas or heartburn. This is because the symptoms can sometimes overlap, and it can be difficult to discern the exact cause.
However, there are some clues that you can take note of that should give you an idea about which is which:
Burning sensation in the chest
If you feel a strong burning sensation in your chest, that seems to radiate, chances are that you’re experiencing heartburn. This is because of the effect that stomach acids have on your esophagus.
In contrast, if you’re experiencing a angina or impending heart attack, the pain feels more of a tightness; as if your heart is having a hard time beating.
Another clue is that the burning sensation usually starts from your upper abdomen and then moves up to your chest.
Experiencing chest pain after eating trigger foods
Some people who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) and people experiencing hyperacidity can have some trigger foods. Some examples are dairy products, sour foods, spicy foods, and even fatty foods.
If you experience chest pain after eating either of these foods, then chances are you might be experiencing heartburn, and not a heart attack.
You’re suffering from GERD
Lastly, if you’re suffering from GERD, the chest pain you’re experiencing might probably be due to your condition. If you have GERD, you are more prone to experiencing heartburn, and chest pain as a result.
This means that the possibility that your chest pain is due to heartburn is pretty high.
One important thing to remember is that if you think there might be something wrong, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention. It is much better to get checked to make sure that you don’t have any serious problems.
Key Takeaways
One important thing to remember is that if you think there might be something wrong, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention. It might not be anything serious, but it’s much better to have that peace of mind, and be on the safe side rather than risk it.
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