Why Reflux Can Feel Like Heart Pain
The esophagus is the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. Its lower end is guarded by a ring of muscle, the lower esophageal sphincter. It normally opens to let food through, then tightens to help keep stomach contents from rising. If it relaxes at the wrong time or does not seal well, stomach contents can move back into the esophagus—a process called reflux.
How a Stomach Problem Creates a Chest Sensation
The stomach has a protective lining that tolerates its acidic digestive juices; the esophagus does not have the same protection. When refluxed acid irritates its lining, it can cause a burning feeling behind the breastbone. The esophagus lies close to the heart, and sensations from organs in the chest can be difficult for the brain to pinpoint. So the discomfort may feel as though it comes from the heart, even though its immediate cause is irritation in the food pipe.
Reflux is more likely after a large meal or when lying down soon after eating: a full stomach puts more contents near the entrance to the esophagus, while lying flat removes some of gravity’s help in keeping them down. These circumstances do not prove that chest pain is heartburn, however. A burning sensation can have more than one cause, and new, severe, or unexplained chest pain should not be identified by feel alone.
