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‘Don’t confuse heart attack with acidity’

ABU DHABI — Heart attacks that could sometimes be fatal, are likely to be mistaken for acidity, medical experts have warned.

They cautioned that abrupt commencement of pain in the upper part of the stomach or acute onset of indigestion known as epigastrium which could be symptoms of heart attack, are sometimes underestimated by both doctors and patients.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Dr Wael Al Muhameed, Consultant Cardiologist at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City, said sometimes patients ignore sudden onset of epigastrium and decide not to consult doctors because they think it is acidity, while it could be symptomatic of heart attack.

"Not everybody suffering acidity necessarily has heart attack. However, sudden onset of epigastrium requires consultation of a doctor. Usually doctors misdiagnose acidity and decline to conduct an ECG for patients," he said.

Dr Rajeev Gupta, Abu Dhabi-based Consultant Cardiologist said nowadays heart attack diagnosis is challenging, noting that about a quarter of the victims with this life-threatening condition, are presented in a rather atypical way that hinders prompt and accurate diagnosis. "Patients with epigastrium who do not experience chest pain are likely ignore to get treatment or treat themselves with antacids and the outcome might be fatal," warned Dr Gupta.

He said even if patients managed to report acidity symptoms, doctors might miss the correct diagnosis as heart attack is very similar to acute acidity.

"Epigastrium is common due to acidity. However, if symptoms develop acutely after the age of 35 years, especially with a background of diabetes or high blood pressure this certainly needs thorough evaluation," warned Dr Gupta. He advised an ECG and a blood test before ruling out the possibility of a heart attack, urging chemists to be aware of this condition before dispensing antacids for patients suffering epigastrium.

He said diabetics, smokers and hypertensive patients should be educated on reporting such symptoms as early as possible, especially with the existence of modern drugs that could minimise damage to the heart.