That's not heartache, it's a hiatal hernia

THE DIAPHRAGM is a muscular sheet that separates the chest cavity (containing the heart, lungs, esophagus and other organs) from the abdominal cavity (containing the stomach, large and small intestine, and other organs).
A hiatal hernia refers to the abnormal passage of a portion of the stomach upward into the chest through a hiatus (opening) in the diaphragm.
The vast majority (about 90 percent) of hiatal hernias are of the so-called "sliding" type, in which a portion of the stomach passes upward into the chest through a diaphragmatic opening that the esophagus normally passes through on its downward course to the stomach.
A sliding hernia tends to move in and out of the thoracic cavity across the diaphragm, although the diaphragm itself is normal.
Sliding hernias are of particular importance because they are associated with gastroesophageal reflux (the passage of acid-containing stomach contents into the esophagus).

If heartburn takes you you by throat, sip liquids

According to the British medical journal The Lancet, heartburn is a common ailment. In fact, 25 percent of Americans report experiencing heartburn at least once a month, 12 percent at least once a week and 5 percent daily. What is heartburn? And what about gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)? Here's a guide to provide a bit more understanding of that burning sensation in your chest.
• Why is it called heartburn? ''Heartburn is often sensed as a burning feeling behind the middle of the lower to middle of the chest, giving the sense that it may be coming from the heart,'' said Dr. Philip Jaffe, an associate professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine.
• What is happening, biologically speaking? According to Dr. David Peura, a professor of medicine at the University of Virginia Health System: ``Acid that's normally produced by the stomach is washing back up into the esophagus [the swallowing tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach] and irritating [burning] its lining.

Tragic event about stomach cancer

In a tragic event of unfortunate misdiagnosis, The Daily Mail is reporting that teen Stacey Stephenson died of stomach cancer after repeatedly being diagnosed with acid indigestion. At the beginning of summer, Stephenson began having digestive problems related to eating. When she visited the doctor, she was told she suffered from acid indigestion and given a prescription to combat acid indigestion. However, several weeks later, when the young woman of 19 noticed her symptoms had not improved, she returned to see the doctor again. Again, she was told she suffered from acid indigestion. Shortly after, she went with friends to Greece on holiday. During holiday in Greece, the stomach pain became severe and she sought medical attention. An X-ray revealed a stomach tumor and this is when her stomach cancer diagnosis was made.