:lila Fillis,

Thanks for your question.  Your discomfort could be due to a number of causes.  When it comes to heart disease and chest discomfort, the list of descriptions is quite long.  Though not typical, your discomfort is a possibility and needs further evaluation.

Gastrointestinal causes would be high on the list: obstruction of the esophagus, either inside the esophagus, or external compression of the esophagus by adjacent structures; a pouch of stomach pushed up above the diaphragm, called a hiatal hernia, can commonly produce these symptoms; inflammation and/or ulceration of the esophagus; and growths within the esophagus or stomach.

There are several less likely possibilities.  I reccommend you see your physician for a full evaluation.  He will take your history and perform a physical examination, after which he will have a better idea of what the problem may be, and the best course of action.  He might suggest further testing as well as treatment.

Best wishes.

Martin Cane, M.D.