EEHealth in its Healthy Driven Bog asks readers to picture a 22-year-old guy out for the evening with friends. Settled in a favorite restaurant, he consumes a pile of hot wings with greasy fries and chases it down with a couple of beers and countless cups of coffee. When he wakes up during the night with a burning sensation in his chest and a sour taste in his mouth, he blames last night’s food and drink choices, and pops some antacid tablets.

” For someone in their 20s with no risk factors of heart disease, it’s probably safe to assume that heartburn is causing these symptoms, especially if the antacid brings relief,” says Daryl Wilson, M.D., an emergency medicine physician at Edward Hospital.

Of course, chest pain isn’t always so benign. Some people are struck with the type of pain often associated with a heart attack — an overwhelming, crushing feeling that radiates into the arm or other parts of the body. In these cases, the afflicted person or someone who’s with them usually knows it’s time to call 911.

But some cases aren’t as black and white. Heartburn can closely mimic a heart attack. While a heart attack is often announced by pressure or pain in the chest, that’s not always true.

Says Dr. Wilson, “Atypical heart attack symptoms are especially common in women and diabetics.”

These symptoms can include jaw pain, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, extreme tiredness, sweating, dizziness, and even heartburn.

Heartburn is caused by the contents of the stomach splashing up into the food pipe (esophagus). This acid reflux can cause a burning sensation anywhere from the belly button to the back of the mouth, but it’s more commonly felt in the upper abdomen. Read more