Heart attack or cardiac arrest is a stopping of the heart caused by a condition in the coronary arteries. Like any other part of the body, the heart too requires blood supply, to function properly, and this blood is supplied through the coronary arteries. Over time, cholesterol can build-up and thicken in the walls of the artery, gradually reducing blood supply to the heart. When the blockage reaches a certain stage, it can trigger an attack.
While heart attack is caused by a blockage in the arteries, angina is caused by narrowing of the arteries. Think of heart attack as a traffic jam on a highway that stops traffic, and angina as a bottleneck in the highway that slows down traffic. Symptoms of angina are similar to that of heart attack except that in angina; the pain goes away after resting, or medication.
Heartburn has nothing do with the heart, and should be called ‘Gastric burn’. The stomach is immune to the acid produced by it for digestion. However, the esophagus or the food-pipe is not immune and experiences a burning sensation when acid flows up from the stomach. This happens when the person is lying down or bending over, and typically occurs after a heavy or spicy meal.
Interestingly, patients who have experienced any of these 3 conditions report similar symptoms. Although shortness of breath, sweating and dizziness is not a typical symptom of heartburn, if the person’s overall health is poor, (s)he could experience these symptoms. Further, for people with blocked or narrowing arteries, an incident of heartburn could trigger a heart attack soon after. Even doctors find it difficult to tell them apart, which is why once you are admitted for any of these conditions, Cardiologist run a series of tests to rule out a cardiac arrest.
Even if you have experienced two or more of these conditions and can tell them apart, it’s best to not take any chances. Blockages or narrowing of the arteries can develop in a short period of time, so unless you have had a comprehensive health checkup in the recent past, you cannot say for sure what triggered the condition. Play safe and seek emergency medical help immediately, when any of these symptoms occur.
We often confuse heart burn with heart attack and vice versa. Good info!
There is a lot of information that we don’t know about heart diseases. Thanks for sharing this article.
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