How to tell if it’s your stomach or your heart

Stomach or heart discomfort can usually be identified by electrocardiogram, ultrasound, gastroscopy, and accompanying clinical symptoms. Sometimes when angina pectoris or heart attack occurs, the pain site is near the xiphoid process, which can be easily confused with stomach pain or other digestive diseases. First of all, according to the patient’s symptoms, if in addition to abdominal pain, the patient has nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, heartburn and other symptoms, and before the onset of eating, it is likely to be gastroparesis. There is also pain that is obvious when hungry and relieved after eating, suspect duodenal ulcer. But the clinical manifestations do not fully distinguish between heart disease or stomach pain. Therefore, sometimes it is necessary to use tests. Clinically, you can start with a simple electrocardiogram for screening. In the case of stomach pain or other digestive diseases, the electrocardiogram is usually normal. In the case of angina pectoris attack, the ECG will indicate ischemic changes in the ST-T segment. Abdominal ultrasound and gastroscopy can also help to rule out digestive system diseases. If you feel unwell, seek medical attention.