Cardiologist Warns Heartburn-Like Chest Pain Can Signal Heart Attack Even in Patients as Young as 30
Updated
Updated · Hometown News · Nov 9
Cardiologist Warns Heartburn-Like Chest Pain Can Signal Heart Attack Even in Patients as Young as 30
1 articles · Updated · Hometown News · Nov 9
Summary
Dr. Sara Khodor said burning chest discomfort should not be dismissed as heartburn because heart attack symptoms can look nearly identical and delaying care can cause permanent heart damage.
Exertion is a key warning sign: chest or upper-abdominal burning, pressure, tightness or heaviness that appears with activity — or spreads to the jaw, arms, shoulders or back — raises concern for blocked heart blood flow.
Antacids do not rule out a cardiac problem, she said, and women, older adults and people with diabetes may instead show fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, dizziness or lightheadedness.
Khodor said she has treated heart attack patients as young as 30, including active adults in their 40s who later needed stents or bypass surgery despite regular exercise and healthy weight.
For new or persistent chest pain or other suspicious symptoms, she urged people to call 911 rather than drive themselves, stressing that home self-diagnosis is unsafe.