Ask the doctor: What's the best way to tell heartburn from angina or a heart attack?
Ask the doctor
One clue comes from what you were doing before the symptoms started. Heartburn tends to occur after meals, when you have more acid in your stomach, or when you are lying down, which allows stomach acid to trickle into the esophagus. Chest pain from angina is more likely to happen when you are exerting yourself or have been outside in the cold. (This isn't a 100% reliable rule, since angina can hit you after a meal, too.)
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