Esophageal spasms can mimic which cardiac condition?

Esophageal spasms can mimic angina due to the nature of the chest pain that both conditions can produce. Angina is characterized by a feeling of tightness, pressure, or discomfort in the chest, often brought on by physical exertion or stress and relieved by rest or nitroglycerin. Similarly, esophageal spasms lead to intermittent chest pain that is often described as squeezing or pressure-like, which can be mistaken for the discomfort associated with angina. This overlap in symptoms is particularly significant because both conditions might present with similar characteristics, leading to confusion in diagnosis.

The understanding of how esophageal spasms can lead to this kind of chest pain highlights the importance of differentiating between cardiac and gastrointestinal causes of chest discomfort during a clinical evaluation. While heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure have distinct symptoms and clinical features, the presentation of esophageal spasms mirrors that of angina closely enough to prompt further investigation to rule out cardiac causes.