Did you just have a burning sensation in your chest accompanied by a pain radiating from your abdomen to your shoulders and a disorientation? Confused and wondering what happened? Was it a heart attack or heartburn? Here is some information you need to distinguish between heartburn, acid reflux, and heart attack.

Let’s look at each of the condition and their symptoms to differentiate between them.

• Acid reflux : It is a condition wherein the flap covering the esophagus that shuts after the food enters the digestive system doesn’t close completely, thereby causing the ingested food to be pushed up along with stomach acid.

Keep in mind that acid reflux and heartburn have lower intensity on the pain as compared to a heart attack. The pain or the discomfort will eventually fade away in case of acid reflux and heartburn, but in the case of a heart attack, there will still be some lingering pain. Undergoing heartburn treatment is a good way to remain cautious so that you don’t confuse it with a heart attack.

Acid reflux and heartburn treatment can be easily done with certain lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medicines. Periodic checkups with the doctor is a good idea to keep a check on your health and prevent any illness.