Heartburn is a painful syndrome featuring pain or burning in the chest and sometimes the neck. This is normally due to GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease, in which digestive fluids rise through the esophagus into the throat, where the protective coating is insufficient to protect the tissues from the acids. This complaint is most common after meals, while lying down or sleeping. The pain can spread from the chest and neck into the arms, jaw and back.

One complicating factor is that heartburn symptoms can mask or duplicate symptoms of more serious issues, such as asthma or heart attacks. Err on the side of caution rather than suffer a heart attack without treatment. Being embarrassed for a false alarm or worrying about a bill for an unneeded hospital visit is preferable to dying. Additionally, there are drugs that can create heartburn symptoms. These can be either on their own, or in combination with other drugs. These include relatively common drugs such as aspirin, sedatives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers used for high blood pressure, and less common drugs such as progestin hormones, bronchodilators, as well as others.

Heartburn symptoms typically occur within an hour of eating fatty or high protein foods. There are things that often increase the pain, such as bending forward, lying down or straining your back. There are also things that can often decrease the pain, such as standing or sitting upright, drinking water or taking appropriate medication.

Heartburn symptoms do vary. Some report a sour or bitter aftertaste after eating. Different combinations of stress and foods can produce different strengths and combinations of heartburn symptoms in different sufferers.

Heartburn symptoms are not unimportant. Even if they are not actually a heart attack or other serious medical problem, heartburn symptoms themselves reflect something wrong with the body. The stomach acids moving up the throat can damage that tissue, making swallowing difficult or painful. This can also lead to dehydration and bleeding with possible blood in vomit or bowel movements. Inability to eat sufficiently due to pain can lead to dangerous weight loss.

If over the counter treatments and normal means of dealing with heartburn symptoms such as a change in diet prove insufficient, and symptoms persist for three weeks or more, seek medical help.