Congratulations to Alan C. Reese. His question has been chosen by a panel of distinguished judges (OK, Kelly and me) to be answered as part of Picture of Health's inaugural "Ask the Expert" feature. And as the first, he wins our special prize, a one-year membership at Brick Bodies. (Cue the confetti).

Dr. Richard A. Desi, a gastroenterologist at the Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center is our expert today.

Q: How do you distinguish between heartburn and a heart attack?

A: "That's actually not a very easy question," says Dr. Desi. "It's a difficult question for patients and for doctors."

One key, he said, is to look for what are considered the classic symptoms of each. With heartburn, burning sensations are likely to radiate from the center of the stomach and into the chest. Typically those symptoms will improve when you take an antacid and worsen when you lie down. It can be set off by a meal.

With a heart attack, the common sensation is left-sided chest pain, radiating down the left arm with numbness or tingling. It can be accompanied by shortness of breath and can be set off by physical exertion.

But sometimes, Desi says, the typical symptoms don't appear and sometimes, they will overlap, making it hard to know the difference. His advice: If you've never had the pain before, have it checked out by a doctor. "It's probably something that you shouldn't be gambling with," he says, considering that heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States.

He says some people are sent to his office from the emergency room, where they raced after thinking they were having a heart attack only to be told it was acid reflux instead. "It's better to err on the side of being a little bit embarrassed," he says.

To read more, try this explanation from the Mayo Clinic.

Photo of Dr. Desi/Mercy Medical Center