Heartburn is discomfort or actual pain caused by digestive acid moving into the tube that carries swallowed food to your stomach (esophagus). It can be accompanied by a burning sensation in the chest, a sour taste in your mouth, and a small amount of stomach contents rising into the back of your throat (regurgitation). Heart attack signs and symptoms vary greatly from person to person, such as pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back. Women are more likely than men to experience some of the other symptoms. If you have persistent chest pain and you're not sure what's causing it, call for emergency medical help. Both heartburn and a developing heart attack can cause symptoms that subside after a while, and the pain doesn't have to last a long time to be a warning sign.