Holiday eating: Is it heartburn or a heart condition?

The holiday season is here. Before we gather with family and indulge in holiday meals, it’s important to be aware that the chest pain symptoms you may experience during this time of year could be heartburn or other heart conditions. Dr. Maya Balakrishnan, associate professor of gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine, explains the differences between the two and how you can try to prevent them from happening.

Heartburn

Heartburn is a gastrointestinal or digestive issue. It typically occurs after people eat when the stomach acid backs up into the esophagus and causes a burning sensation in the chest or a metallic or acidic taste in their mouth. 

“It’s typically related to what people are eating or caused when people lie down quickly after eating or because of a floppy lower sphincter,” said Balakrishnan. 

In addition to eating large meals, the main culprits of heartburn during the holidays can be: 

• Salty foods
• Spicy foods
• Tomato-based foods
• Chocolate 
• Alcohol 
• Caffeine 

“To prevent heartburn, good practices are to be aware of trigger foods, eat smaller meals, take a walk after you eat and generally stay upright for at least three to four hours after you eat,” Balakrishnan said. 
Treatment can include taking over-the-counter antacids like Tums, or prescriptions such as proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers like famotidine, which can reduce some of the acid in the stomach.

Heart conditions

Heart conditions can present a range of symptoms but typically can include chest pains. This can be pain from angina, pain or discomfort that happens when your heart isn’t receiving enough oxygen, or from a more serious event like a heart attack. They can occur at any time, whether a person is resting or exerting themselves by putting extra stress on their heart. Chest pain can be accompanied by shortness of breath or dizziness. Learn more about heart attacks and symptoms from the American Heart Association.  

“We medically call this type of pain angina, which involves problems with the heart, like blood supply,” she said. “These conditions are more serious than heartburn. They are potentially life-threatening and are related to people’s cardiovascular health.” 

The likelihood of experiencing either heartburn or heart conditions increases as we age. 

“As we get older, the muscles that control the esophagus weaken, which is why there is an increased risk of stomach acid reflux going into the esophagus. Likewise, as we age, we get an increased risk of cardiovascular disease because of the risk of factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes that increase. 

It is important to talk to your doctor to know your risk for cardiovascular disease and other heart events. See a physician if there is persistent chest pain, especially if you have risk factors for heart disease like diabetes, smoking or high blood pressure.