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Have you ever had heartburn - you know, that awful burning feeling or pain in your chest that many people talk about? Chances are, most of us have, at some point in our lives or another. What are the actual symptoms of heartburn though? It's time to get straight to the answers, to relieve your body from those discomforting moments because symptoms of heartburn include more than just chest pain.

So, what are the symptoms of heartburn? Well, each person admits to having different symptoms. They include:

1. A burning feeling in the chest, behind the breastbone. This may occur after you eat a particular type of food such as pizza, pasta, hamburgers, mexican food, and lasagna. It may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.

2. You may experience actual chest pain. This Is mostly recognized after you do actions such as lying down, eating, running, or bending over to pick up an object.

3. A burning, hot or sour, acidic or salty-tasting fluid at the back of your throat is common in heartburn symptoms.

4. You may experience some difficulty trying to swallow fluid or food.

5. Coughing, such as chronic coughing, a sore throat, or chronic hoarseness are three common symptoms to determine if you have heartburn.

6. You may experience a cold sweat

Often, your doctor will be able to diagnose you with heartburn when you report these symptoms. Sometimes doctors perform special tests which will determine the severity of the heartburn problem or to monitor your treatment options.

Many people go to the emergency room because they feel they are suffering from a heart attack when they are only experiencing heartburn.

So Is it Heartburn or a Heart Attack?

Often, the pain caused by a heart attack and the pain from severe heartburn are so difficult to distinguish that sophisticated medical testing is needed. This determines whether you are having a heart attack or heartburn.

Possible signs of heartburn that may commonly be mistaken for a heart attack include:

1. A sharp, burning sensation that is below the rib area or breastbone

2. Pain mostly arrives after you eat a meal or when you exercise

3. May have a cold sweat, similar to that of a heart attack

But there are a few symptoms of a heart attack that you will not experience in heartburn. These symptoms include:

1. A feeling of dizziness

2. Lightheadedness

3. Pain in the jaw, neck, or shoulders

4. Shortness of breath

If you have heartburn symptoms that exceed for more than 10 minutes after taking an antacid, such as Tums, seek medical treatment.

Learn more about this author, Stacy Zahn.
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