Indigestion and heartburn are considered by many to be one and the same, when in fact, they are 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. Similar to heartburn, indigestion often involves a burning sensation, although with indigestion it is typically felt more in the upper stomach area, rather than behind the breastbone. Another sharing factor, is that both heartburn and indigestion involves an acidic taste in the mouth. Other symptoms of indigestion include bloating, gas and abdominal pain.
Heartburn often accompanies indigestion, although heartburn is the leaking of stomach acids into the esophagus. 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.
Pregnancy is also a cause of both indigestion and heartburn. Hormones and the added pressure on the stomach by the expanding uterus are both believed to be contributing factors to heartburn and indigestion during pregnancy.
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?The most common identifiable symptom of heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest and sometimes even in the throat. The burning sensation that you may feel should not be compared all confused with the pain. 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}~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}~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}~If the pain in the chest moves to the arms and shoulders then you could be experiencing a heart attack. {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}.
Heartburn has other symptoms, other than the obvious, these include; acidic or salty taste in the mouth, a sore throat, a hoarse voice, a regurigation feeling and a feeling that food is stuck in the throat or chest. Normally after meals, heartburn symptoms may present themselves. The episodes can last anything from a few moments upto a few hours. Often, symptoms worsen when lying down. Most heartburn should respond to antacids. Medical help should be sought if the pain does not at least ease with antacid treatment.
Many heart conditions have been mistaken for heartburn; it is important to therefore seek medical help if the pain appears suddenly and you experience things like dizziness, lightheadedness and cold sweats. 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. Heartburn and indigestion can sometimes be mistaken for more serious dieseases, so if you feel any unusual symptoms you should ask for advice from your doctor immediately.
