Right now, does it feel like a tight band around the chest?

Yes No

Yes?

Does it feel like something heavy sitting on your chest?

Yes No

Yes?
Hmmm. Not looking good. Continue and see what you may be looking at.

Continue

What about squeezing or tightness of the chest area?

Yes No

Do you have pain in one or both arms?

Yes No

Yes?
Chances you are looking at a heart attack increasing. Except if the pain is familiar to you.

Continue

Do you have pain in the neck or jaw?

Yes No

Yes?
Chances you are looking at a heart attack increasing. Except if the pain is familiar to you.

Continue

What about pain between the shoulder blades?

Yes No

Yes?
Chances you are looking at a heart attack increasing. Except if the pain is familiar to you.

Continue

Are you experiencing shortness of breath as we speak?

Yes No

Call 911 or seek emergency room.

Note:
We do not advice continuing. You should only continue if you are not experiencing the question asked.

If this is the case, tap  to start over.

Call 911 ER

In addition to this chest pain or burning, are you sweating for no reason?

Did you break out in sweat?

Yes No

Emergency!
Call 911.

Note:
We do not advice continuing. You should only continue if you are not experiencing the question asked.

If this is the case, tap  to start over.

Call 911 ER

With this chest or burning pain are you feeling lightheaded and dizzy?

Yes No

Do you feel your heart is beating too fast?

Pounding?

Yes No

Call 911 or seek Emergency Room.

Note:
We do not advice continuing. You should only continue if you are not experiencing the question asked.

If this is the case, tap  to start over.

Nearest Clinic ER

What about feeling anxiety, like you are about to die?

Yes No

Call 911 or seek Emergency Room.

Note:
We do not advice continuing. You should only continue if you are not experiencing the question asked.

If this is the case, tap  to start over.

Nearest Clinic ER

Some symptoms of a heart attack can be mistaken for symptoms of a heartburn.

If not and you have honestly answered the questions so far, then let's continue

Continue

Do you have blood in the stool or seen blood in your stool lately?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or call your doctor.

Nearest Clinic Continue

Are you vomiting blood?

Or something like coffee grounds?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or emergency room.

Nearest Clinic Continue

Are your stools black like tar?

Or maroon colored?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or emergency room.

Nearest Clinic Continue

Does it feel like food is stuck in the throat as it goes down?

Or you have difficulty swallowing?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or call the doctor.

Nearest Clinic Continue

Have you lost weight that you didn't want to lose lately?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or call the doctor.

Nearest Clinic Continue

Have you been using (over 2 weeks), any of the medications listed below?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or call the doctor.

Nearest Clinic Continue

Alright
We will assume a minor case of heartburn moving forward.

Let's take a look at the symptoms of a heartburn and be sure this is the case.

Continue

Yes?
Heartburn can cause this.

This is because the acid from the stomach flows backward (refluxes), irritating the delicate lining of the esophagus.

Continue

Any acidic or bitter taste in the mouth especially at the back of the throat?

Yes No

Yes?
This is a sign of heartburn.

This is more likely when you lay down.

The acid may move up towards the mouth especially if you did not use a pillow to prop your head up.

Continue

Any feeling that food is trying to come back into the throat?

Yes No

Yes?
This can be a symptom of a heartburn.

Continue

Does the pain come after you eat food?

Yes No

Yes?

Continue

Does the severity of the pain increase when you lie down?

Or bend over?

Yes No

Yes?
This can be a sign and symptom of a heartburn.

Continue

What about feeling bloated, belching?

Or a feeling of indigestion?

Yes No

Yes?
Too much acid in the stomach can cause this.

Continue

Any coughing especially at night?

Yes No

Yes?
This is a sign of heartburn.

This is due to the leaked (refluxed) acid irritating the windpipe.

Continue

Do you have a feeling of a lump in the throat?

Yes No

Yes?
This can be due to a heartburn.

Continue

Those were signs and symptoms of heartburn.

If you think you are looking at a heartburn, let's continue and figure out what triggers it.

Knowing this would go a long way towards providing relief.

If you can manage the triggers, then you would spend less money on over-the-counter medications. They can add up pretty quick.

Continue

Yes

Continue

Are you a fan of most of the food types listed below?

Yes No

Yes?
You would have to stay away from these.

These can make the stomach acid more irritating should it makes its way back to the esophagus.

Continue

Are you into fatty or oily greasy foods?

Yes No

Yes?
You will have to cut down on these as much as possible.

Continue

Still on food. Do you eat large meals at a time?

Or smaller meals more frequently?

Large Smaller

Large meals?
Cutting down to frequent smaller meals may help.

The stomach responds to large volume meals with large amounts of acid. More acid means a greater chance of acid reflux.

Remember, you have to reduce the chance of the stomach producing more acid than is needed.

Continue

Do you normally finish eating your last meal of the day...

...at least 2 to 3 hours before going to bed?

Yes No

No?
Try eating the last meal of the day at least 2 to 3 hrs before bedtime.

This will give your food and the increased acid level a good chance to clear before you lay down.

This reduces the amount of acid that will likely reflux to cause heartburn.

Also, try sucking on a hard candy after you eat to stimulate more saliva that will help neutralize the acid that may have backed up when the esophagus valve opened.

Continue

Are you currently taking any medications?

Not including medications for heartburn.

Yes No

Are you taking any of the medications listed below?

Yes No

Yes?
These can increase the risk of developing heartburn.

They can relax the LES and increase reflux of stomach acid and juices into the esophagus. This can lead to heartburn.

Continue

What about the medications listed below?

Yes No

Yes?
These can cause or worsen heartburn.

They irritate the stomach lining causing more acid to be produced and making the stomach more susceptible to the effect of the acid.

Continue

Are you taking any of the ones listed below?

Yes No

Yes?
These can relax the LES, causing acid reflux.

There is a strong link between heartburn during sleep and taking a benzodiazepine medication.

Continue

Do you take fosamax®, Boniva® or Actonel® ?

Yes No

Yes?
These can injure the lining of the esophagus.

You must drink a full glass of water with every dose and avoid lying down for 30 to 60 minutes afterward. Take this seriously.

Continue

Narcotic pain relievers like morphine, meperidine, oxycodone. Are you taking those?

Or are you taking pain medications with hydrocodone?

Yes No

Yes?
These can worsen or cause heartburn or stomach upset at the very least.

Take these only when needed for pain.

Continue

There are other medications that can cause heartburn.

If you just started taking a new medication and you are experiencing heartburn, check with the pharmacist and see if this is a side effect of the medication.

The goal is not to stop taking the medication but to know what you are dealing with.

Let's continue and check other things out.

Continue

Yes?
You will have to stop this. No way around it.

Smoking weakens the LES, stimulate acid production and inhibit saliva production which is supposed to help protect the esophagus against the effect of stomach acid.

You will have to choose between smoking and serious heartburn pain. It is going to get progressively worse.

Continue

Do you chew gum often without food in the stomach?

Yes No

Yes?
You may have to put it off till after eating.

Chewing gum in an empty stomach may stimulate acid production in the stomach through a conditioned reflex action.

The stomach is used to expecting something when your mouth is moving or chewing. It produces acid and digestive juices in anticipation, but nothing shows up. You don't need this extra acid or digestive juices irritating your stomach.

In the same token, chewing gum for 30 minutes after eating a meal can help relieve heartburn.

Continue

Would you consider yourself overweight?

Yes No

Yes?
This can put extra pressure on the stomach causing acid reflux.

Continue

When exercising, do you do a lot of sit-ups?

Yes No

Yes?
May have to cut this down.

Sit-ups may increase the risk of acid reflux. Depends on how bad the heartburn is, you may have to do exercises that minimize pressure to the abdomen.

Continue

Those were heartburn triggers to avoid.

Well, let's see what a pharmacist recommend for heartburn relief that is available over-the-counter.

Or would you like to see the nearest urgent care clinic to you if you think that is what you need?

Urgent Care Continue