What is severe heartburn?
Severe or persistent heartburn occurs two times a week or more and is usually accompanied by significant discomfort or pain. Severe heartburn can often affect your daily routines and the overall quality of life.
How serious is severe heartburn?
When your esophagus or throat is regularly exposed to stomach acid it can cause pain, throat ulcers and tissue abnormalities. This could affect your quality of life, ability to swallow, breathe and even speak. Unmanaged, this damage could increase your risk of developing certain types of cancers.
Heartburn or Heart Attack?
Because the symptoms are felt in a similar area, some people can confuse the pain of heartburn with a heart attack. It's important to understand the difference between severe heartburn pain and a heart attack.
Heartburn pain tends to be felt in the center of your chest. Heart attack pain may be slightly to the left where your heart is. It can radiate through your back, neck, jaw, shoulders and/or down your arms (especially the left arm).
Heartburn sufferers often describe their symptoms as a series of sharp chest pains, while victims of a heart attack tend to describe the feeling as a dull heaviness.
If you're unsure whether you're suffering from heartburn or having a heart attack, it's important to seek medical help immediately.