Heartburn/chest pain after burping, what could this be?

[Melissa0117]

My dad is 58 years old and for the past couple of weeks, sometimes he will burp several times and it will cause him discomfort in his chest, particularly in the area of his breastbone and on the right side of his chest. It is not a chronic thing, he says he may experience symptoms one day but not have any issues for several days. He says he does not have difficulty breathing nor does he experience pain in any other areas. Two years ago he had a stress test and EKG which showed a small blockage in his artery and I believe he had an angioplasty and the works, and everything turned out alright. The only medication he is on is for high blood pressure but it is managed now. Over 15 years ago he did have a stomach ulcer that required him to go into surgery for the amount of blood that was lost. Today he is under more discomfort than usual, and it happened right after he ate his lunch. He didn't eat anything too spicy, I believe it was a piece of chicken kabob that bothered him. He doesn't feel it is necessary to go to a doctor because he unfortunately is uninsured at the moment. I would really appreciate it if someone could tell me what they think is going on. I'm trying to give as much info as I can. This is something I am really worried about. He said that after he ate lunch today, he felt very tired and only experiences the pain when he burps. He's still tired (it has been several hours after lunch) but he says he's not as tired as he was this afternoon.  This is the first time he feels tired after the past couple of weeks of experiencing the chest pain after burping, so please help me out! Thanks.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
This burping with chest discomfort could be due to severe acidity with reflux. It could also be due to hiatal hernia where a portion of stomach herniates into the chest cavity. In all probability it is due to reflux. Maybe the food he ate did not agree with him, caused a mild food poisoning with acidity. Irritation of the nerve that supplies the diaphragm also causes burping. A combination of OTC omeprazole and antacid gel should help. If this does not, please ask your father to consult a doctor.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Take care!

[Melissa0117]

I also would like to add that he doesn't have any acidic taste in his mouth or the belching isn't acidic/sour like.