HEART ATTACK OR HEARTBURN?

BOTH heartburn and a heart attack cause chest pain. When accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth and burning in the throat, it points to heartburn.

If you have persisting chest pain that’s accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating and/or dizziness it may be a heart attack. ‘The key is to understand your body and to consider what is normal,’ says Lucy Morton, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation.

‘If it’s quite usual for you to experience some indigestion after a heavy meal, it’s probably nothing to worry about. But if that “indigestion” is out of the ordinary, prolonged or particularly severe, you should seek medical advice.’