Heartburn And Indigestion – What Are The Symptoms?

Heartburn and indigestion, are not one of the same, even though many people think they are. 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. There are similiarities between indigestion and heartburn, in the sense that they both involve a burning sensation. The difference being, is heartburn is behind the breastbone and indigestion is felt more in the upper stomach area. Indigestion can also involve an acidic taste in the mouth, another symptom it shares with heartburn. Bloating, abdominal pain and gas are other symptoms of indigestion.

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.
Being pregnant brings with it its’ own problems but unfortunately, for most it can also cause heartburn and indigestion. Contributing factors to heartburn and indigestion especially during pregnancy, is the added pressure on the stomach that the uterus caused by expanding. This is of course, due to the fact that our hormones change.

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?An identifiable symptom that is common to heartburn is the burning sensation in the chest and throat. The burning sensation that you may feel should not be compared all confused with the pain. You should seek medical help immediately if the pain moves through your arms and shoulders, as this can be related 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}~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}~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}~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}.

Other symptoms of heartburn include a hoarse sounding voice, sore throat, acidic or salty taste in the mouth, regurgitation or a feeling that foods are getting stuck in the throat or chest. Heartburn symptoms can last anything from a few minutes upto a few hours and usually will start soom after eating a meal. If you lie down, you may find that very often the symptoms will worsen. In most cases, antacids will lessen or erradicate your heartburn. Antacid treatment should irradicate the pain associated with heartburn and indigestion. If it does not, then medical help should be sought.

If you experience a pain that worsens along with cold sweats, dizziness and lightheadedness, then you should go immediately to your doctors as you could have other heart problems. 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. If you encounter unusual symptoms you may otherwise have mistaken for symptoms of heartburn and indigestion, you should seek medical attention immediately.