Heartburn vs Heart Attack

By the AllHealth UK editorial teamLast reviewed 26 August 2026Next review due 26 February 2027Compiled from published NHS and NICE guidance. Not reviewed by a clinician.

Is it heartburn or a heart attack?

You cannot reliably tell these apart at home. The NHS lists feeling like you have indigestion — a burning, full or bloated feeling in the chest — as a symptom of a heart attack, so a heart attack can feel exactly like bad heartburn. Do not wait to see whether antacids help. If chest pain is new, severe or unexplained, call 999.

Immediate action required: call 999 or go to A&E if

Chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing on your chest
Chest pain spreading to your arms, neck or jaw
Severe difficulty breathing — gasping, choking, or unable to get words out
Lips or skin that look pale, blue or grey — on brown or black skin this may be easiest to see on the palms of the hands
Someone has passed out and is not responding normally

If you are weighing up whether it is bad enough to call, that is itself a reason to call. Nobody is annoyed by a 999 call that turns out to be the less serious of the two.

Heartburn and Acid Reflux compared with Heart Attack
Feature	Heartburn and Acid Reflux	Heart Attack
Typical signs	Burning feeling in the middle of the chest Unpleasant sour taste in the mouth Often worse after eating, lying down or bending over Recurring cough, hiccups or a hoarse voice Bloating and feeling sick	Crushing or squeezing chest pain Pain spreading to the arm, neck or jaw A feeling like indigestion — burning, full or bloated Sweating, feeling sick or being sick Pale, blue or grey skin, or sudden breathlessness
How long it lasts	Minutes to hours, coming and going over months or years	Does not settle on its own — needs emergency hospital treatment
What helps	Smaller meals, avoid trigger food and drink, do not eat 3 to 4 hours before bed. A pharmacist can advise on antacids or alginates; a GP can prescribe a PPI such as omeprazole. See a GP if you get heartburn most days, or if food gets stuck in your throat, you are frequently being sick, or you are losing weight for no reason.	Call 999. Sit and rest with your back supported and knees bent. Take 300mg aspirin if you have it and are not allergic. Do not drive yourself to A&E
What to do	See a GP	Call 999 now

Sources and further reading

This page was written from the following published guidance. All links checked 26 August 2026.

What to do next

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