Latest / What's the Root Cause? by Dr Vikki Petersen
Burning Chest Pain: Heartburn or Heart Attack?
I'm frequently asked if acid reflux can feel like a heart attack. It absolutely can and that occurs due to two main reasons.
Anatomy, or geography, is one reason - the stomach, esophagus and heart lie very close to one another. Therefore the burning of acid up into the esophagus can be felt in the chest and surrounding area, therefore mimicking a heart attack. Even pressure in the chest, which occurs with a heart attack, can happen with reflux.
There is another reason which relates to your nervous system. The vagus nerve, your longest cranial nerve, travels to your heart, lungs, esophagus…
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