When Heartburn Isn't Heartburn

It's just heartburn. There's no need to worry. Or is there?

Most people who diagnose themselves with heartburn are correct. Heartburn, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is usually experienced as a burning sensation in the chest. Many patients feel it starting low in the chest or upper abdomen, moving up to the mid-chest. Some experience regurgitation, a sour taste in the mouth, or chest pain.

However, other causes of heartburn or chest pain may be confused with GERD. The most important and probably the most common one is heart-related chest pain (angina). The symptoms may be indistinguishable from GERD, although often the pattern is different. Usually GERD is in some way related to food: either it's worse after eating (especially spicy foods, coffee, alcohol, chocolate, tomato-based products, or citrus) or it improves with eating (as food absorbs some of the stomach acid, thus relieving the burning temporarily).

Chest discomfort related to the heart commonly exhibits a different pattern. Activities that require more oxygen, such as walking, going up steps, or carrying groceries, may bring on the pain during or after exercise. Heartburn coming from the stomach doesn't usually cause shortness of breath, whereas a heart-related burning sensation often does interfere with breathing. Either type of pain (angina or GERD) may radiate into the left arm, jaw, or neck, or be accompanied by nausea or belching. Heart problems tend to make people tired, whereas stomach problems do not. Resting often relieves angina (heart pain) but usually does little for GERD.

Sometimes people experience burning in the chest as a result of asthma, COPD, bronchitis, or pneumonia. This discomfort is often associated with shortness of breath or taking a deep breath. At times, GERD will cause wheezing, as the stomach acid ascends through the esophagus then leaks back into the bronchial tubes. And certainly a patient can have both GERD and asthma. Medication for GERD (Prilosec, Prevacid, Zantac, Pepcid, antacids, etc.) usually relieves acid-related chest discomfort and may even help wheezing. Medication for asthma may decrease or eliminate chest discomfort and wheezing but will not help GERD.

Another common cause of chest discomfort is costochondritis, or inflammation of the joints where the bony ribs connect to the cartilage, or where the ribs connect to the sternum (breast bone). Costochondritis is usually tender to touch, but may also hurt when taking a deep breath. Pleurisy usually hurts to take a deep breath but is not tender to the touch. GERD itself generally does not cause tenderness, unless there is associated irritation of the stomach or an ulcer. Anti-inflammatory medications, which often make GERD worse, frequently relieve the symptoms of costochondritis.

A person with GERD, COPD, and angina may have trouble discerning the cause of their chest pain. Unless you have clear-cut acid reflux disease (and that only occasionally), it's best to see your doctor.

Copyright 2010 Cynthia J. Koelker, M.D.

To read more about heartburn, GERD, or asthma visit: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Cynthia_Koelker

For practical advice on affordable health care visit: [http://101waystosavemoneyonhealthcare.blogspot.com/]

Permission is hereby granted to publish this copyrighted article elsewhere on the web or in print media, in whole or in part, with the stipulation that Dr. Koelker be properly credited as author, and that the material be unaltered with regard to content.

Cynthia J. Koelker MD is a family physician of over twenty years, and holds degrees from MIT, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the University of Akron. She is the author of "101 Ways to Save Money on Healthcare."

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Anxiety and Chest Pain

We all know that having an occasional bout with anxiety is not only normal but may provide that much needed spark to overcome one of life's unexpected challenges. Anxiety put simply is that keyed up feeling that leads to such symptoms as intense fear, worry, and difficulty concentration.

But can anxiety induce chest pain?

It is unlikely that mild everyday anxiety will cause chest discomfort. I don't remember reading or hearing about anyone who had a severe bout of chest pain because they wore one blue and one black sock to the big office party. While a bout of chest pain might have been an appropriate excuse to go home and make a wardrobe adjustment this level of anxiety is not generally enough to produce chest discomfort. Severe anxiety on the other hand, particularly in the form of panic disorder, is notorious for producing chest pain, and is generally accompanied by an uncomfortable rapid heart beat (palpitations). You may recall a famous old comedy sitcom where every time anxiety was on the horizon the character started experiencing chest discomfort and proclaiming the big one is coming. So not only is it medically proven that severe anxiety can lead to chest pain it is part of our culture as well. Let's take a closer look at panic disorder since it is the main type of anxiety leading to chest pain.

The cardinal features of panic disorder are normally short lived with panic attacks cropping up without warning during non threatening activities. Those who are being victimized often go to the emergency room or call an ambulance because the physical symptoms - difficulty breathing, a pounding rapid heart rate, and a choking sensation - are perceived as heart attack. Panic attacks are short fast intense bursts that subside within 10 minutes and dissipate within 20 to 30 minutes.

Don't misunderstand if you have the above symptoms that mirror a heart attack it is better to safe than sorry. Heart attack victims only have a few precious minutes to get that ticker restarted before lack of circulation to the brain and organs cause death. So take action you can always deal with your panic attack situation later.

What Next?

Severe anxiety and chest pain is often treated through a combination of behavioral therapy and prescription medication. It your anxiety is severe enough to cause chest pains it may be wise to bring in a professional who has experience with panic disorders that can place you on the road to recovery.

Additionally, some natural health minded individuals are implementing natural remedies for anxiety as an additional tool in their anxiety treatment kit. Most natural remedies for anxiety, especially those containing St. John's Wort and Passion Flower have proven to be an effective alternative, especially when combined with cognitive behavior therapy. If you are searching for a safe alternative to prescription medications, herbal remedies for anxiety are an option worth considering.

R.D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate of alternative natural health products and supplements with over 10 years experience. To learn more about natural remedies for better health visit Purchase Remedies.com

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Heart Attack Early Warning Signs Are Not Obvious - If In Doubt, Get Checked Out

There are no definite heart attack early warning signs; they are all easily mistaken as having some other cause. Often, it is only when you look back after having a heart attack, that you realise the signs were there, but that you ignored them.

The normal cause of a heart attack is when a clot gets jammed in a narrowed artery and stops the blood supply to your heart. So until a clot has formed and become lodged, your only symptoms will be due to the reduction of the blood supply caused by the narrowing of your arteries. So the early signs of a heart attack are the same as the signs of heart disease.

The challenge with heart disease is that it progresses slowly and therefore you get used to the symptoms and even when they affect your life you adapt to them, never thinking that they are the symptoms of heart disease or a possible future heart attack.

The three main early noticeable physical symptoms are:

Shortness of Breath

Fatigue

Chest Discomfort

However they may not all occur, they might not occur consistently and they more than likely will be mild in the beginning.

If one day you get breathless going up stairs, you will probably put it down to being tired, to working too hard, to age, or some other insignificant factor. You may even promise yourself that you will start doing some exercise to get fit! But what normally happens is that you just shrug it off. After a few weeks you will not even think of the breathlessness as being out of the ordinary. You will just accept it as the way you are.

This will be the same for any fatigue or discomfort. So although the symptoms are present, you dismiss them as something unimportant and just live with them.

The only real indicator of heart disease is your blood pressure.

The problem is that the symptoms of high blood pressure are one and the same as the symptoms of heart disease so the only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to use a blood pressure monitor. This does not have to be done by a health care professional, in fact a number of recent reports have shown that taking your own blood pressure at home on a regular basis is a more accurate indicator of your health than having it taken once or twice a year (if that) by a professional. If you do not own a monitor you should invest in one as soon as possible. If you do own one but don't use it, then start today!

Remember:

It's Your Heart!

It's Your Life!

It's Your Choice!

To find out more about symptoms of heart disease and the methods I have used to overcome heart disease since I suffered a heart attack in 1999 visit http://heart-attack-and-heart-disease.com

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Top Tips To Treat Chest Pain

Chest pain is a serious symptom meaning "heart attack" to most people. Serious chest discomfort should usually be evaluated by a physician right now. On the way to the emergency room or while waiting for the ambulance, take two aspirin tablets. While pain from the heart may sometimes be mild, it is usually intense. Sometimes a feeling of pressure or squeezing on the chest is more prominent than actual pain. Almost always the pain or discomfort will be felt in part below the breastbone. It may also be felt in the jaw or down the inner part of either arm. There may be nausea and sweating. If dizziness, shortness of breath, or irregularity of the pulse is present, it is particularly important that a physician be seen immediately.

A related form of heart pain is not a heart attack but is termed "angina pectoris" or "angina." These pains also can occur in the upper arms or the jaw, but usually involve part of the breastbone. Angina pains occur with exercise and sometimes with stress, and they go away with rest and relaxation. They are a result of narrowed arteries to the heart that are unable to supply enough blood when the heart is working hard. In a heart attack, one of these same arteries has actually become totally blocked. However, all chest pain does not come from the heart. Pain can also come from the chest wall, the lungs, the outside covering of the lungs, the outside covering of the heart, the esophagus, the diaphragm, the spine, the skin, or the organs in the upper part of the abdominal cavity. Often it is difficult even for a physician to determine the precise origin of the pain. Therefore there are no absolute rules that enable you to determine which pains may be treated at home. The following guidelines usually work and are used by doctors, but there are occasional exceptions.

A shooting pain lasting a few seconds is common and means nothing. A sensation of a "catch" at the end of a deep breath is also trivial and does not need attention. Chest wall pain can be demonstrated by pressing a finger on the chest at the spot of discomfort and reproducing or aggravating the pain by this maneuver. Pleurisy gets worse with a deep breath, heart pain does not. When pericarditis is present, the pain may throb with each heartbeat. Ulcer pain burns with an empty stomach and gets better with food, gallbladder pain often becomes more intense after a meal. Each of these four conditions, when suspected, should be evaluated by a physician.

Spasm of the esophagus can cause severe pain mimicking a heart attack and is quite different from the acid-burning that we called heartburn. This spasm pain feels as if it is expanding from inside the chest rather than squeezing from the outside as does heart pain. And it is often relieved by a drink of water, while heart pain is not.

If your chest pain is a new sensation and you are not sure what is going on, you should be evaluated promptly in an emergency medical facility. This is a complaint for which it is better to be conservative. See a doctor. Exceptions are chest wall pain, particularly if you had unusual exertion a day or so before, or pain that you are sure is coming from the esophagus. These you can treat with rest and acetaminophen, in the case of chest wall pain, and water and antacids, in the case of pain coming from the esophagus.

Raymond Lee Geok Seng is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is a writer specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He has spent countless of time and efforts conducting research and share his insightful and powerful secrets to benefit men and women all over the world. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.

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