A gastroenterologist has taken to TikTok with a vital health warning that could save lives, warning people that common digestive complaints might actually be something far more serious.
Dr Robert A Ganz wants people to know that common digestive complaints like bloating, nausea, and a burning sensation in the upper stomach can actually signal heart disease.
These symptoms are often dismissed as simple indigestion, but there is a reason for this confusion.
The lower portion of the heart and the upper digestive organs, including the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum, share the same nerve pathways.
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Common digestive complaints could signal a heart attack
|GETTY
This means signals from both areas can feel remarkably similar, making it easy to mistake one for the other.
In a recent clip, Dr Ganz shared a story from his time as an intern at the University of Illinois roughly three decades ago.
His supervising physician was Ken Rosen, a world-renowned cardiologist and pioneer in cardiac electrophysiology.
"Rosen had indigestion, [...] he would come in on rounds, he'd be popping Tums and drinking Mylanta," Dr Ganz recalled.
The cardiologist believed he had reflux disease, causing discomfort in his upper abdomen. But tragically, Rosen suffered a fatal heart attack while skiing in Vail. His "indigestion" had actually been inferior wall angina all along.
Fast forward three decades, and Dr Ganz found himself in an eerily similar situation.
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He needed spinal surgery for a herniated disc, and during his consultation, the spine surgeon mentioned he'd been experiencing persistent indigestion.
The surgeon was reaching for antacids constantly, just like Rosen had done all those years before.
Dr Ganz immediately recognised the warning signs and asked if the symptoms occurred during physical exertion. The surgeon confirmed they did, appearing when he exercised or carried shopping up the stairs.
Alarm bells rang for Dr Ganz, and he promptly arranged a treadmill test for his surgeon. But the situation took a dramatic turn just days later.
Dr Ganz's surgery was scheduled for two days' time, but the surgeon had another operation to perform the following day.
During that procedure, the surgeon suffered a heart attack right there in the operating room. Thankfully, he survived the ordeal, though he obviously couldn't perform Dr Ganz's spinal surgery as planned.
Dr Ganz urges people with indigestion to pay close attention to their symptoms
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Both stores are a reminder that indigestion, which flares up during physical activity, deserves serious attention, Dr Ganz noted.
"Mid-upper gastric discomfort and indigestion: it’s quite possible it’s GI-related. It could be an ulcer, it could be reflux, but it sure as hell could be cardiac. So be careful," said Dr Ganz.
Even highly trained medical professionals can miss these warning signs in themselves, making it all the more important for everyone to be aware of this potentially life-saving information.
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