Bloating

Struggling with bloating? Here’s what you need to know to find relief.

Learn about diagnostic testing

ALL TEST ARE ACCREDITED & REGULATED BY

What is bloating?

When you’re bloated, your stomach or abdomen can feel full and uncomfortable, or even painful.

This bloating happens when your gastrointestinal tract contains too much gas or air. Bloating can be mild, or more severe, and may present as:

– A visibly distended or swollen abdomen

– Feeling very full and uncomfortable

– Feeling of tightness in the abdomen

– Excess gas – belching and/or flatulence

– Rumbling or gurgling

There are several causes of bloating, so it’s important to diagnose the cause of your bloating and find out why it’s happening to you.

Why does bloating happen?

Prolonged periods of bloating could indicate an underlying health problem, if so you should see your GP.

Possible causes can include:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS diagnosis)
Ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), where the inner lining of the large bowel is inflamed and develops ulcers
Crohn’s disease, the other form of IBD, where some parts of your colon are inflamed
Too much bacteria in your small intestine (called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Food intolerances, especially lactose or fructose intolerance
Producing too much gas (dysbiosis and fermentation)
Weight gain
Stress or anxiety
Delays in your food and drink moving on from your stomach (called gastroparesis)
Eating too quickly, so that you swallow too much air (called aerophagia)

Diagnosing bloating

Feeling bloated is no fun, but once you know what’s going on you can start to manage your symptoms and the underlying causes.

Testing options:

At the Functional Gut Clinic, we can run the following tests to diagnose the causes of bloating:

Gastric emptying test– which measures how quickly food leaves your stomach

Carbohydrate malabsorption breath test– which finds out if you have certain food intolerances (lactose or fructose)

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) breath test– which finds out if you have an overgrowth of bacteria in your small intestine (called SIBO)

Oesophageal manometry– which measures the function of your oesophagus (food pipe)

24-hour pH impedance monitoring– which looks at whether you have any reflux

Colonic transit study-a non-invasive test which looks at how long it takes for faeces to pass through your bowl

Find out more and book your test

Learn more about bloating

Heartburn and Heart Attack Difference Explained

Heartburn and Heart Attack: What’s the Difference?

Education| Reflux

February 26, 2026•4 min read

Any type of chest pain is scary. When we feel chest discomfort, many people begin to panic. They assume the worst. But not all chest pain is a heart attack, even when it feels severe.

Heartburn, angina, and heart attack can feel very similar. Even experienced doctors can get them confused if there aren’t any telltale symptoms. That’s why so many people go to A&E with chest pain only to learn it’s acid reflux.

But you can tell them apart. It’s important to understand what heartburn feels like and how it differs from a heart attack. It might save your life or just a trip to the emergency room.

What Is Heartburn, Really?

Heartburn occurs when acid from the stomach enters the oesophagus (or food pipe). The acid irritates the lining, causing discomfort. Because the oesophagus lies just behind the breastbone, that’s where the pain is felt.

Common heartburn symptoms include:

Burning chest pain
Sour taste
Hoarse voice
Worse after eating or lying down

Heartburn isn’t directly related to heart attacks. If you’ve got heartburn, you don’t necessarily have a problem with your heart. That being said, recent research indicates that people with severe acid reflux have a 27% higher risk of having a heart attack compared to those without.

What Happens During a Heart Attack?

A heart attack is very different from heartburn. During a heart attack, the blood vessels supplying your heart muscle suddenly become blocked. Without blood flow, the muscle doesn’t receive oxygen and begins to die.

Common symptoms of a heart attack include:

Chest pain or pressure — often described as tightness, squeezing, or heaviness
Pain spreading to the arm (usually left), neck, jaw, back, or shoulder
Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort
Cold sweats, clamminess, or sudden dizziness
Nausea or vomiting
Unusual fatigue, especially in women

Angina can cause a similar pain. It occurs because the arteries supplying your heart are narrowed (but not blocked). When you exercise, they’re not wide enough to supply sufficient blood, causing discomfort. It’s important to always get angina checked, as it can lead to a heart attack.

Why Heartburn and Heart Attacks Can Feel Similar

Most people don’t experience lots of different types of chest discomfort. When we experience any chest pain, it’s easy for us to assume the worst.

It doesn’t help that our brain struggles to tell them apart. Similar nerve pathways mean pain is “referred” to a particular area. So, pain in the oesophagus can appear over the heart, just as a heart attack can cause discomfort in the arm or neck.

Key Differences Between Heartburn and a Heart Attack

Still not sure of the differences? Here’s a quick overview table:

Custom HTML/CSS/JAVASCRIPT

Can Heartburn Be a Sign of a Heart Attack?

Heartburn itself is not caused by a heart attack.

Heartburn (despite the name) specifically describes the presence of acid in the oesophagus. Heart attacks almost never present with heartburn. However, as mentioned earlier, they can be linked. Eating a fatty diet or drinking alcohol can cause heartburn and can increase your risk of a heart attack.

Heart attacks also occur more suddenly, and usually not after a meal or when lying down.

Symptoms That Should Never Be Ignored

If you’re concerned your heartburn is something more serious, don’t ignore it. The longer you leave a heart attack, the more damage it causes. If you notice any of these symptoms, please go to A&E:

Chest pain with exertion
Sudden shortness of breath
Cold sweats or dizziness
Pain lasting longer than a few minutes

A simple (though not completely reliable) test is to take an antacid. If the pain resolves, it could be due to acid. However, if chest pain is new, severe, or unexplained, seek urgent medical help regardless. Most cases of heartburn occur after meals, are linked to posture, and recur over time. Chest pain out of the blue is more concerning.

Ongoing Heartburn? Get the Right Checks

If chest discomfort isn’t a heart attack, it could be heartburn. Recurrent chest pain, especially after meals or when lying down, is distressing.

The Functional Gut Clinic specialises in investigating reflux properly, using evidence-based testing to identify whether reflux is driving your symptoms. We provide clear and accurate results with actions to take going forward, helping you take control of your symptoms.

You might enjoy reading the next related article: Acid Reflux and Back Pain: Can Indigestion Cause Backache?

heartburn and heart attackheart attackheartburn

The Functional Gut Clinic

Back to Blog

Hear from people we’ve helped, just like you.

"Very professional while welcoming and friendly"

"The manner and demeanour of all staff from reception to people carrying out the test was very professional but welcoming and friendly. Atmosphere is very relaxed and all instructions clear and concise."

London Patient

"Highly recommend this"

"Thanks to Dr Hobson and everyone at the Functional Gut Clinic. The whole team is very kind and generous and they are doing things that are cutting edge and they actually get results."

Manchester Patient

"Highly recommend this"

"After stopping my lansoprazole, every time I had a warm drink, I could feel it burn all the way down to my stomach. Thank you to Sam for making me feel at ease." - Manchester Patient

"My experience could not be better"

"Pleasant and knowledgeable staff that made the experience more enjoyable than it should be!" - London Patient

"Very friendly and knowledgeable"

"An excellent service from beginning to end. I would recommend to anyone who was considering having testing done. Very friendly and knowledgeable!" - Manchester Patient

"Very kind and helpful"

"It was also great to have time to talk to the clinicians – very important when you have problems. Reception staff also very kind and helpful." - Manchester Patient