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Article: It feels like a heart attack, but it's not a heart attack. (chest pain due to abnormalities in esophagus)
- Article from:
- HealthFacts
- Article date:
- February 1, 1989
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 Center for Medical Consumers, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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IT FEELS LIKE A HEART ATTACK BUT IT'S NOT A HEART ATTACK
In a significant number of people, the severe and recurring chest pain mistaken for heart disease is actually due to abnormalities of the esophagus. Many of them suffer symptoms similar to those of angina, which is caused by constricted coronary arteries; at worst, some experience the same frightening, crushing pain of an imminent heart attack.
In a nationwide survey of 600,000 cardiac catheter examinations given to people with symptoms of angina, as many as 30 percent were shown to have normal coronary arteries. After reviewing all the major studies of people who underwent this in hospital ...