Is There a Link Between Heartburn and Back Pain?
The symptoms of heartburn can be intense and quite painful for some people. In fact, some will experience pain that is so sharp, they can feel it radiate all around the middle of the body to the back area. This leads some to assume that there is a natural connection between heartburn and back pain. However, a pain in the chest that radiates to the back can also be a sign of a heart attack. In this situation, time is of the essence and emergency medical assistance is imperative. So how do you know if it is heartburn and back pain coinciding, or if the condition is much more serious? Read on for tips on how to distinguish between your run of the mill heartburn or something much worse.
Why Heartburn and Back Pain are Connected
There is no doubt that there is a link between heartburn and back pain for some people. If you suffer from frequent bouts of heartburn at night, you may be trying to relieve your symptoms by raising the head of your bed or propping yourself up with additional pillows. Your heartburn discomfort may also be keeping you from sleeping in the positions that you generally find most comfortable, resulting in more tossing and turning throughout the night. If this is the case, you may be waking up with more discomfort in the back than you are accustomed to. This is a common reason for heartburn and back pain to occur at the same time, and you may find some relief by trying different sleeping positions or seeing a doctor or chiropractor for back pain relief. However, if your heartburn and back pain occur together for different reasons, there may be cause for concern.
When to Worry
Since a heart attack can be mistaken for acute heartburn by both patients and members of the medical community, it is important to understand when heartburn and back pain occur together and when there is a cause for concern. Heart attacks often mirror the symptoms of digestive conditions - especially in women. In the case of a heart attack, heartburn and back pain may be accompanied by nausea, fatigue, weakness and dizziness. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms with your heartburn and back pain, you should seek medical assistance immediately. It is much better to head to the emergency room and be told it is merely a case of heartburn than to wait for the situation to become much more serious. When in doubt, call your doctor.
