What Are The Warning Signs Of A Heart Attack
There are several different warning signs of a heart attack, and they are not always sudden or severe. Whether or not your chest pain symptoms include mild to severe pain, they should be considered heart-related until proven otherwise.
People having a heart attack may have just one of these symptoms, or a combination of several. They can come on suddenly or develop over a few minutes and get progressively worse. Symptoms usually last for at least 10 minutes.
Warning signs could include:
- discomfort or pain in the centre of your chest a heaviness, tightness or pressure, like something heavy sitting on your chest, or a belt tightening around your chest, or a bad case of indigestion
- discomfort in your arms, shoulder, neck, jaw or back
- other problems such as:
Women and men can experience the signs and symptoms of a heart attack differently.
Although chest pain is thought to be the most common symptom of heart attack and it is common in men only about half of all women who have a heart attack actually report chest pain.
Heart attacks are more common in older people than in younger people, but they can occur in people of any age.
The pain you have may not sound like that described above, but its still important to see a doctor. Remember, all chest pain should be checked out by a doctor as soon as possible.
When To See A Doctor For Tightness In Chest
Now that you already know the various things that can cause tightness in your chest area. But when do you need to see your doctor? Here are some symptoms that can be a sign of a serious condition:
- A sudden feeling of a rapid heartbeat, fever, cold sweat.
- Tightness, squeezing, pressure in the center of the chest feels like a huge pressure will constrict your chest.
- Severe chest pain that spreads to your jaw, chin, neck, left arm, or back.
- Sudden diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.
- Coughing up yellow or green mucus with difficulty breathing.
- Constant chest pain with extreme fatigue and tiredness.
- There is a severe burning sensation in the chest and abdominal pain.
What Relieves Other Types Of Chest Pain
Treating other types of chest pain requires diagnosing and treating the underlying condition. For example, if a pulled muscle in chest is to blame for your chest pain, rest and applying a warm compress can get rid of the aching chest pain.
If heartburn causes burning pain in the middle of your chest, changing your diet and drinking baking soda water can help to relieve the discomfort.
You can find out more about how to get relief from left-sided chest pain or get rid of chest pain on the right side.
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How Do You Get Rid Of Gerd
GERD is a very common health problem that can impact anyone. It may not be completely avoided, but it can be managed and treated with antacid medications. In addition, dietary changes can help reduce the number of GERD episodes you may experience. If your GERD is very severe, then surgery may be needed.
Causes Of Acid Reflux
When food enters the stomach, there is a valve at the end of the esophagus that should close upon its arrival. If that valve malfunctions, it allows acid to flow back up into your mouth and throat. Thats what causes the sour taste in your mouth when you experience acid reflux.
Some factors that could lead to the problems with the valve closing properly include:
- Having too much pressure placed on the abdomen
- Eating specific types of food
- Your general eating habits
- A hiatal hernia, where the upper part of your stomach bulges into your diaphragm
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Ways To Reduce Chest Pressure
When you are experiencing chest pressure and/or tightness, the key is to try to figure out the potential causes. Once you deem anxiety to be the cause of the symptom, the next goal is to stop it. See the following examples:
- Hyperventilation: Try to get your breathing under control by taking slower, deeper breaths and not trying to over-breathe or breathe too fast. When youre experiencing hyperventilation, you may feel as though youre not getting enough air, but hyperventilation occurs when you have expelled more CO2 than you make. So breathing more slowly helps to rebuild those CO2 levels.
- Bloating/Heartburn: If you can potentially reduce/prevent any gas, do so. You may also want to consider taking an antacid or drinking water, which may help with bloating or heartburn. Heartburn can be improved by eating more slowly, decreasing the amounts of spicy foods you consume, and staying upright for at least 30 minutes after eating. Also, avoid heartburn-inducing foods like peppermint, chocolate, coffee or caffeinated beverages, tomatoes, alcohol, and citrus fruits
- Muscle Strain: Be mindful of lifting or carrying items that are too heavy. Make sure to stretch and warm up your muscles before doing any strenuous activities.
These are only temporary fixes. Remember that your chest pressure and/or tightness is often related to some type of anxiety issue or anxiety disorder. That means that the only way to prevent the chest pressure from returning is to learn to manage your anxiety.
You Have A Bitter Taste In Your Mouth
Sometimes acid escaping from your stomach can make its way into the back of your throat, leaving an icky, bitter taste in your mouth. In really extreme cases, this can cause choking.
If that happensespecially at nightyou should see a doctor. “I’m very aggressive with therapy if patients wake up choking,” says Dr. Coyle, adding that he usually recommends acid-suppressing medications like proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, and antacids. .
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Can Acid Reflux Cause Nerve Pain
Acid reflux symptoms can be typical or atypical in nature. Tingling limbs and nerve pain are considered rare and atypical acid reflux symptoms.
Dr. Mark Babyatsky, a former department chairman at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, explained that inflammation from acid reflux can reach the lungs and trigger pneumonia.
As a result, the diaphragm can become inflamed, affecting the phrenic nerve, which is a nerve connecting the neck, lung, heart, and diaphragm. In this scenario, a patient can feel referred pain in the limbs, specifically the arms and shoulders.
Alternatively, nerve-related issues may be caused by pre-existing neuropathic conditions, leading to acid reflux. An example of this is gastroparesis. Gastroparesis is a form of diabetic peripheral neuropathy characterized by slow digestion. This leads to bloating, heartburn, and vomiting of undigested food.
If youre experiencing acid reflux symptoms with nerve pain, theres a high chance that your nerve pain is not reflux-related, especially if you are experiencing temporary reflux. Get in touch with a medical professional to find a separate diagnosis concerning your nerve pain.
Duration Of Heart Related Pain
Squeezing pains in your middle or left chest that are heart-related may only last a few minutes. Doctors from the Mayo Clinic say that the duration of chest tightness that is a symptom of a heart attack can be anything among the following:7
- Aching or squeezing chest pains that last a few minutes or longer and gradually intensify.
- Bouts of heaviness in the chest that come and go over a few days or weeks.
- Pressing chest pains that are associated with physical exercise and get better when resting.
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How Is Gerd Diagnosed
Your doctor will ask you questions about your signs and do an exam. Many times, doctors can be fairly certain a person has GERD just by the signs. If your doctor thinks your signs are caused by GERD, medicine may help. If the medicine helps, you and your doctor will know that GERD was the cause of your problems. You may not need to have any special tests.
When Is Chest Pain A Heart Attack
Many people delay calling 999 when having chest pain as they often think it isnt serious. You should dial 999 immediately if your chest pain:
- is sudden
- spreads to you arms, back, neck or jaw
- feels heavy or tight.
Or if:
- you become short of breath or start to feel sick.
If your chest pain doesnt match these characteristics and you arent experiencing any other heart attack symptoms, there may be other explanations for your chest pain. These include angina, indigestion or a strained muscle.If you frequently experience unexplained chest pain, book an appointment with your GP as its possible you may have an undiagnosed heart condition.
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How You Can Tell If You Are Suffering From Anxiety
The easiest way to determine if you are suffering from anxiety-induced chest tightness is by ruling out any cardiac or lung-related disease. Only a physician can rule these out completely.
A few signs can be helpful in determining if your chest tightness is cardiac-related. This is by no means an all-inclusive list. So, when in doubt, please visit your primary care physician. Generally, the following is more likely to be true of anxiety-related chest tightness and/or pressure:
- It is less likely to radiate towards the back, arms, or shoulders.
- It is more likely to occur with other anxiety symptoms.
- It tends to last for less than 10 minutes.
Again, having chest pain that abides by these suggestions does not rule out any cardiac or pulmonary causes. Also, women, diabetics, and the elderly often present with chest pain that is atypical of traditional cardiac chest tightness. So, if you belong to one of these groups and have new-onset chest pressure and/or tightness, it is best to see a physician first.
Anxiety attacks have a peak time, and that tends to be when the chest pressure is at its worst. Cardiac chest pressure, on the other hand, is more likely to last longer than 15 minutes, radiate, not be relieved with the resolution of anxiety, and be associated with shortness of breath etc.
Can Digestive Problems Cause Neck Pain
For example, with some patients we need to address an inflamed stomach. This can cause reflex pain and reactivity in the neck and upper back, sometimes without any obvious symptoms in the stomach itself.
Can acid reflux cause ear and neck pain?
Takeaway. Heartburn and ear pain can both be symptoms of acid reflux. If you experience ear pain from acid reflux, its most likely 1 of 2 extraesophageal variants of GERD: LPR or NPR. If you have a recurring earache or experience heartburn often, talk with your doctor.
How to cure Gerd permanently?
Medications cannot Permanently cure your GERD, but theyre necessary to control the disease and prevent or reverse the complications. Surgery can cure your GERD permanently, but it is not for everyone.
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Eating And A Heavy Feeling In The Chest
Dr. Besser explains, In this condition, stomach contents regurgitate into the esophagus, which is located in the chest.
This regurgitated food irritates the esophagus, and that can cause pain or heaviness in the chest.
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The esophagus is a muscle but not the same kind of muscle that you flex in your arms.
Heaviness in Chest After Eating May Also Be Caused by Heart Disease
Of course, heaviness in the chest also happens with heart disease , says Dr. Besser.
It can happen after eating a big meal because the body are working harder to digest the meal. This can put some strain on the heart.
So just when you thought you were in the clear, you now fear you might have heart disease.
Can Acid Reflux Cause Gas
On average, healthy individuals pass gas 13 to 21 times a day. This gas is expelled through the mouth or anus . Gas accumulates in the digestive tract through eating or bacterial fermentation.
As digestive bacteria break down food, little pockets of air are created in the process. Because the bacteria in each human body is different, some people may be more tolerant of digesting certain food compared to other people.
How Are Acid Reflux and Gas Related
Excessive gas and acid reflux may exist simultaneously. A patient experiencing excessive flatulence may also experience bloating from acid reflux. While acid reflux does not directly cause gas, doctors believe that the two may be interlinked.
This is because certain conditions that trigger acid reflux can also trigger gassiness. Individuals who eat spicy and citrusy foods may increase their acidity levels while also triggering gassiness. Alleviating gassiness could coincidentally improve acid reflux symptoms because the circumstances that create these conditions tend to be similar.
Learn more about what food to avoid in this article: What Is the Best Breakfast for Acid Reflux Sufferers?
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Ever Get That Heavy Feeling In Your Chest After Eating And Wonder If The Food Is Triggering A Heart Attack Or If Some Heart Problem Is Responding To Your Meal
And the meal doesnt necessarily have to be big or full of fat or grease in order to cause this heavy chest feeling.
Most likely its because you have GERD , says Susan L. Besser, MD, with Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, and Diplomate American Board of Obesity Medicine and board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
GERD and acid reflux are very common.
These conditions may be chronic or episodic, and triggers in addition to eating include anxiety and sleeping in a horizontal position.
You Sound Like You Have A Cold
You might think you’re in the early stages of a cold when your voice starts cracking, but hoarseness can be another heartburn symptom.
If stomach acid is seeping into your esophagus it can irritate your vocal cords, says Dr. Pfanner, who is also a gastroenterologist at Scott & White, in Temple, Texas. Pay attention to when your voice sounds huskier than usual. If it’s after you’ve eaten, you may have reflux.
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What Heartburn Feels Like
You get this problem when stomach acid moves into a tube called the esophagus, which carries food from your mouth to the stomach. When that happens, you could have a burning pain in your chest. Your throat might burn, and you could have a sour taste in your mouth or a cough. You may also hear it called GERD , which is heartburn that happens often. But other conditions can have similar symptoms.
Treatments For Acid Reflux
Your doctor may recommend treating milder forms of acid reflux through a combination of lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications. If you are diagnosed with GERD, the doctor may write you a prescription to help with the symptoms.
If lifestyle changes and medication fail to provide relief, a physician might recommend that you have surgery for acid reflux. Available surgical options for treating the condition include:
- Fundoplication– A minimally invasive procedure that involves wrapping the area around your lower esophageal sphincter to tighten that muscle, preventing reflux.
- LINX device – Your surgeon wraps a ring of small magnetic beads around the place where your stomach and esophagus meet. The magnetized beads’ strength keeps that juncture closed but still allows food to pass to your stomach.
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When To Call 911 For Chest Tightness
Unexplained chest tightness along with any of the following requires immediate medical attention:
· Burning feeling
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Psychological concerns
In the United States each year, more than 7 million people seek emergency care for chest pain. The vast majority of these cases are not caused by a heart or lung condition.
Gerd Can Cause A Burning Feeling In The Chest
Gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD, is a condition that impacts the stomach and the esophagus.
The stomach is full of acidic fluid that helps break down food contents. Sometimes the acidic fluid in the stomach refluxes, or moves back up into the esophagus. This can cause burning and irritation in the esophagus, a pain very similar to when you get a hot liquid on your skin and it burns.
The burning sensation with GERD is commonly also known as heartburn since the irritation in the esophagus can cause a burning discomfort in the chest. The term “heartburn” is a bit exaggerated since the heart is not actually impacted at all by GERD. However, the heart and the esophagus sit next to each other in the chest, and it can feel as though the heart is involved when it is truly just the esophagus.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
In most cases, the pain from GERD is most noticeable after a meal. This is because after you eat, the stomach begins to churn and to release acids that work to break down the food you just ate. Certain treatments and medications can help reduce symptoms of GERD and provide relief.
This article discusses GERD and the sensation of heart palpitations in more detail.
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What Are The Causes Of Chest Pain
Chest pain can be a symptom of many different conditions, some of which are more serious than others. Its best to seek medical attention for any chest pain in case it is heart-related.
Common non-cardiac causes of chest pain include:
- indigestion or reflux when stomach acid rises up the food pipe, and causes a burning pain in the chest
- muscle strains
- inflammation where the ribs join the breast bone
- chest infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia
- pleurisy
- anxiety or panic attack these may also cause dizziness, heart palpitations, sweating and breathlessness and can last for up to 20 minutes.
Common cardiac causes of chest pain include:
- angina pain caused by poor blood flow to the heart muscle, which usually occurs when the heart needs to work harder than usual. This might be due to exercise, anxiety or emotion, cold weather, or following a large meal. The pain is usually short lived and eases with rest.
- heart attack when the blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked. Chest pain caused by a heart attack usually does not go away with rest, and urgent medical attention is necessary.
Less common causes of chest pain include:
- shingles an infection that typically causes pain before a skin rash appears
- mastitis usually caused by a breast infection related to breastfeeding
- a pulmonary embolism a blockage in the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs. You may have sharp, stabbing chest pain that is worse when you breathe in.
- pericarditis