Heartburn is a feeling of burning, warmth, heat, or pain that often starts in the upper abdomen just beneath the lower breastbone (sternum). It is caused by food and stomach juices backing up into the esophagus. If heartburn is your only problem, abdominal pain should not be your main symptom.

Abdominal pain may be a sign of a more serious problem, such as heart attack, heart disease, peptic ulcer disease, gallbladder disease, a tear of the esophagus, pancreatitis, or inflammation of the stomach (gastritis). While antacids, histamine receptor blockers (such as Tagamet or Zantac), or proton pump inhibitors (such as Prilosec) may relieve the discomfort of some of these conditions for a while, the pain will usually come back. Abdominal pain that returns needs to be checked by your doctor.