A nurse is reviewing the health history of a 52-year-old client who reports a burning sensation in the chest that worsens after meals and when lying down. The client asks why the pain seems to travel upward toward the throat rather than staying in one spot.
- The pain is caused by a cardiac arrhythmia triggered by large meals.
- Delayed gastric emptying causes pressure to build in the stomach, radiating to the jaw.
- The sensation is referred pain originating from the gallbladder after fatty food ingestion.
- Acid reflux from the stomach irritates the esophageal lining, causing pain that radiates along the path of the esophagus.