Medical

Heart Attack or Heartburn: When To Seek Emergency Care

Is your chest pain indicative of something more severe? Understand common symptoms, triggers and how to differentiate between a heart attack, and heartburn to protect yourself.

By Namami

20 Mar 2023

How frequently do you disregard minor to severe health-related symptoms at work? Taking care of yourself while meeting deadlines, attending meetings, and organising your daily routine is essential. Sudden chest pain at work is one of those instances that should not be ignored. Depending on what is causing the discomfort, heartburn might range from severe to minor. It is critical to understand how to handle such circumstances.

According to a 2009 study by the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, both men and women experienced more symptoms of depression and anxiety, and work-related stress when compared with a reference group of people who were not suffering from heart disease. The male patients were more physically active in their spare time than the female patients, but compared with the reference group, both the men and the women with unexplained chest pain led a more sedentary lifestyle.

Need all your wellness solutions in one place? A whole new world awaits just a click away.

Difference Between Heartburn And Heart Attack

Chest pain can be caused by a heart issue and can feel similar to heartburn. It is prudent to identify the cause of chest pain in order to get timely life-saving treatment.

Heartburn symptoms can start due to problems with our muscular valve called the Lower Oesophageal Sphincter (LES). It is located where the oesophagus meets the stomach below the rib cage. Heartburn surfaces when stomach juices, such as acids and enzymes, flow back into your oesophagus.

Our stomach has a thick mucus lining that protects it from these substances, but the oesophagus does not. A valve at the bottom of your oesophagus called the lower oesophagal sphincter is supposed to keep stomach contents from coming back up. But sometimes it is weak or does not close all the way, due to which heartburn happens.

Different things can cause your lower oesophagal sphincter to weaken or relax too much, such as:

Inhaling smoke
Extra abdominal pressure from body weight, tight clothing, or pregnancy
Hiatal hernia, when your stomach pushes up through your diaphragm
A heavy meal that strains your stomach and remains in it longer
Indigestion and gas, when gas bubbles moves upwards via your GI (gastrointestinal) tract
Lying down too soon after eating
Consuming certain foods, including coffee, chocolate, citrus fruits, mint, and tomato sauce
Particular prescriptions like birth control pills and blood pressure medications

Other Major Reasons Include:

Stress: Elevated levels of stress are a major cause of heart disease among professionals. Persistent stress is detrimental to the heart, and a rapid increase in stress levels accompanied by poor physical health can lead to a heart attack.
Rotational Working Hours: Sound sleep is equally essential as healthy nutrition and exercise. Individuals who work in rotational shifts are more likely to experience elevated stress and mood disorders, which are bad for their heart health.
Improper Diet: A sedentary lifestyle leads to higher cholesterol levels, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Any of these factors can increase the likelihood of heart disease.

Certain foods can relax your LES or increase stomach acid, such as:

Tomatoes
Citrus fruits
Garlic and onions
Chocolate
Coffee or caffeinated products
Alcohol
Peppermint

Oftentimes, many of these factors cause acid reflux and heartburn.

Several different oesophageal disorders can also cause non-cardiac chest pain, including:

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD: This is the most common cause of noncardiac chest discomfort, accounting for 50-60 per cent of cases. It is also known as chronic acid reflux.
Oesophagal Muscle Spasms: Abnormal contractions or squeezing of the oesophagus result in chest pain.
Achalasia: This is an uncommon condition in which your lower oesophageal sphincter fails to relax and open to allow food into your stomach, resulting in food backing up into your oesophagus.
Oesophagal Hypersensitivity: This is a sensory disorder in which your oesophagus wall's muscles, nerves, and receptors are too sensitive. Normal tension, pressure shifts, and acid contents are uncomfortable for people with this illness.
Inflammation of The Oesophagus: This can result from an immune response to infection or food allergies (eosinophilic esophagitis) or from peptic ulcer disease.

Related Story: 10 Ways To Beat Bloating

Symptoms of Heartburn At Workplace

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) commonly cause symptoms such as

burning sensation and pain in the centre of your chest
pain behind your breastbone, rising from the lower tip of your breastbone toward your throat
stomach contents resuming through your oesophagus into your throat or mouth, causing you to taste like stomach acid

Yet, not all people with GERD have heartburn or regurgitation. Other symptoms may include:

nausea
problems swallowing or pain while swallowing
difficulties in the mouth, throat, or lungs, such as chronic cough or hoarseness

When It’s Not Heartburn

A heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction) occurs when a major artery or arteries in your heart do not receive sufficient blood flow. As a result, parts of your heart receive insufficient blood and oxygen.

After a few seconds, your lungs will most likely be burning, and your chest will feel constricted. When a person has a heart attack, their heart is unable to create more blood flow. Chest pain is one of the possible outcomes, but other symptoms may also occur.

Several arteries in the heart deliver blood to various parts of the heart. A person's symptoms may differ depending on which body part they are having a heart attack. At times, the symptoms change because people's bodies react differently to reduced blood flow and oxygen levels. Coronary artery disease is the most prevalent cause of heart attack (CAD). A less common cause is a severe spasm or sudden constriction of a coronary artery, which can cut off blood supply to the heart muscle.

The primary signs of a heart attack are as follows:

Pain or discomfort in the chest
Feeling weak, dizzy, or faint
You could also break out in cold sweat
Jaw, neck, or back pain or discomfort
Discomfort or pain in one or both arms or shoulders
Breathing difficulty

This is commonly accompanied by chest pain, but it can also occur before chest pain. Excessive or unexpected exhaustion, as well as nausea or vomiting, are further symptoms of a heart attack.

Click here to learn more about heart disease and unlock better health.

Never ignore chest pain and especially if you are unsure of the cause behind it, get to a UR.Life OHC emergency room quickly to reduce the amount of damage to the heart muscle. Inform your OHC to get immediate help and seek emergency support:

Get Immediate Relief With UR.Life OHC

UR.Life's 360° wellness approach identifies the factors that will enable you to achieve a disease-free workplace experience, one that caters to a healthy lifestyle by prioritising physical and mental health well-being. At UR.life Corporate Wellness, we help you to invest in your well-being through our seamless intervention of medical programs.

When you visit a UR.Life OHC:

Ask for a health risk assessment: It offers health risk status for chronic heart conditions, including health checks for migraines, back pain, diabetes, heart health, obesity, poor sleep, and stress management. Recommendations are given based on the risk score to control and manage the risks. These recommendations include consultations with medical specialists, expert nutritionists, physical trainers, and mental health coaches who create personalised plans for diet and lifestyle modification.
Education on common health issues: With UR.Life OHC Health Talks, routine health check-ups and seminars with employees will never be an issue. UR.Life’s Occupational Health Centers (OHC) are backed by highly qualified experts/technicians, we’re committed to delivering trusted health records always. We provide health interventions, health webinars, audio and video consultations, nutritionist and psychologist-on-call, Apollo 24/7 circle membership, wellness network offerings & discounts. Scheduled web talks and seminars on health and wellness to educate your workforce about common health issues.
Personalised stretching plans: When faced with acid reflux during desk jobs, our team of highly trained experts are adept at customising personalised training and nutrition plans to help you meet your health goals.

Talk to a mental health expert for stress management: We have a diverse network of qualified therapists and medical experts who are trained to guide you on techniques to manage stress.
Ask for a smoking cessation program: If you are looking to make behavioural changes, you are not alone. Speak to your OHC representative today to learn more about UR.Life’s on-demand substance abuse programs.
Ask for a personalised nutrition plan: Our holistic wellness approach caters to all aspects of your nutritious well-being. This ensures that you can bring your whole self to work. Our evidence-based approach comes with food regimens, movement programmes, and mental health resources that set us apart from our competitors.

Our complete well-being packages offer lifestyle solutions, consultations, and other customised services to help your employees live a fit and healthy life. With UR.Life OHC by your side, you will be better armed to tackle health issues.

Unlock well-rounded health with a comprehensive range of wellness services at UR.Life Studio. Come join us at UR.Life Studios! We offer a comprehensive range of wellness services that promote optimum well-being.

According to a 2019 study by the Journal of American College of Cardiology, diets high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes; moderate in low-fat dairy and seafood; and low in processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, and sodium are good to prevent chest pain and heart burns. Our nutritionists design customised diet plans based on health conditions.

At UR.Life Studios, we offer a complete multi-disciplined approach to fitness and well-being. UR.Life is your premiere wellness destination, that is driven by an evidence-based approach.

Need all your wellness solutions in one place? A whole new world awaits just a click away.