Symptoms of Heartburn and Indigestion
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. 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. An acidic taste in the mouth is also another factor shared both by heartburn and indigestion. Other symptoms of indigestion include bloating, gas and abdominal pain.
Heartburn and indigestion often accompany each other, even though the leaking of stomach acids into the esophagus is associated with heartburn. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and some lifestyle conditions are the known underlying cause for both indigestion and heartburn. If you are a sufferer you should note that smoking, stress, alcohol consumption along with certain types of foods, the amount we eat can all bring on the pain that we feel.
Indigestion and heartburn is also caused by pregnancy. 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?The most common identifiable symptom of heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest and sometimes even in the throat. Pain shouldn't be mixed up with the burning sensation. 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. Antacids will treat heartburn in most cases. Medical help should be sought if the pain does not at least ease with antacid treatment.
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. Learning to recognize heartburn and indigestion can leave you better able to distinguish the symptoms from those of 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.