how do you tell the difference between a heart attack and indigestion?
Question:
Answers:
It can be very difficult to tell. The only way to know FOR SURE that you are not having a heart attack is to go the hospital and have cardiac enzymes checked - they show up in your blood if there is damage to the heart muscle.
An ECG can also show if your heart is not getting enough oxygen. If you have any doubt, get to an ER immediately.
If it is not your heart causing the pain, you may need to have further workup to see if ou have reflux disease. That can usually be treated with medication.
Other Answers:
Indigestion will occur after you've eating something not suitable for you. Heart Attack will have numbing in one arm or both and incredible pain in your chest area. Seek medical attention immediately!
I hate to tell you, but this is a problem even the best physicians sometimes struggle with. There is NO reliable way for you to tell at home. The patterns of pain produced by indigestion can be identical to that produced by a heart attack.
In a hospital, the EKG, blood test, history and examination are all combined to make the most reliable diagnosis possible. In a lot of cases, they can't tell and have to admit the patient to the hospital to do a series of EKG's and blood tests to see if they change over time. This is often the ONLY way the diagnosis is ever clear. Rarely not even then
The bottom line is that you can't tell, and really shouldn't try. If you are having chest pain, your safest course is to be evaluated by a competent physician as soon as possible. Will it be a hassle? You bet. Will it be expensive? Sure will. Is it more of a hassle than being dead? Is it more expensive than a funeral and a life unnecessarily lost?
What do you think? Usually one cannot tell the difference. So, as most responses have already said, please see a doctor. Even if your problem is "only" indigestion, that in itself could be a sign of other problems such as gall bladder, acid reflux, or simply a poor diet.
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