Patient Resources

Difference Between Cardiac Arrest And Heart Attack:

January 17, 2023
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Cardiovascular emergencies that pose a risk to life include cardiac arrest and heart attacks. Life can be saved by identifying the signs of cardiac arrest and heart attack and understanding what to do. Everyone can get confused by medical terminology, but in this instance, there are significant distinctions between these two cardiac episodes.

Cardiac Arrest And Heart Attack

Problems in the body's circulatory system that obstruct blood flow to the heart are what cause a heart attack. Your risk may rise as a result of your age, lifestyle choices, including diet and exercise, and other health issues.The system of the heart breaks down during cardiac arrest. Usually, arrhythmias that mess with the heart's rhythm and electrical system are to blame. A cardiac arrest happens when the heart's rhythm ceases.

What Is A Heart Attack?

Myocardial infarction, another name for a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply to the heart is disturbed. Without well-oxygenated blood flowing to the heart, one of the body's most vital organs may suffer injury, and the heart muscle may deteriorate.

What Is Cardiac Arrest?

Abrupt cardiac death refers to cardiac arrest. To stop or bring to a halt is what the term "arrest" signifies. When a person experiences cardiac arrest, their heart stops beating, which is a very serious medical condition. Cardiac arrest can result in incapacity or a very instantaneous death.

Cardiac Arrest Symptoms:    

Cardiac arrests frequently occur in patients who are unaware that they have a heart condition. A person going into cardiac arrest could pass out and become unconscious. They can stop breathing or have trouble breathing.

Heart Attack Symptoms:

Acute chest pain is a common sign of a heart attack. It can also start gradually with mild pain that comes and goes over several hours. Males and females can experience different symptoms, but chest discomfort is the most typical sign of a heart attack in both sexes. However, other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw discomfort, are somewhat more prevalent in women than in males.

What Causes Cardiac Arrest?

Coronary heart disease is one of the health disorders and lifestyle choices that can raise your risk of cardiac arrest. You could potentially be at risk from additional unknown factors, such as an enlarged heart, irregularly shaped heart valves, congenital disease, electrical impulse problems, smoking, family history, a previous heart attack, or substance misuse.

What Causes Heart Attack?

Coronary heart disease, which deprives your heart of oxygen, is typically the cause of heart attacks. Most of the time, patients who are receiving treatment for heart disease are aware that they are at risk of having a heart attack. Heart attack risk factors can include an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and being overweight.

Diagnosis of Cardiac Arrest:

Your heart has stopped if you have a cardiac arrest. It is lethal if not given rapid resuscitation. A doctor will perform diagnostic procedures to ascertain the reason for your cardiac arrest if they are successful in reviving your heart and restoring blood flow. These examinations could involve echocardiography, blood tests, and a chest X-ray to search for other heart disease symptoms.

Diagnosis of Heart Attack:

An ECG, which measures the electrical activity of your heart, is ordered after a physical examination by a doctor to help them identify a heart attack. A cardiac catheterization or echocardiography may be prescribed by a physician to assess the health and strength of your heart. A sample of your blood is frequently drawn to look for indications of heart muscle damage.

Treatment of Cardiac Arrest:

CPR, or the use of a defibrillator to restart the heart, is almost always the first step in treatment for cardiac arrest. After a cardiac arrest has survived, a doctor will probably begin one or more treatments to help reduce the likelihood that it will occur again. Medication, surgery, and leading a better lifestyle are frequently mentioned here.

Treatment of Heart Attack:

Depending on the severity of the emergency, a doctor may advise any number of operations to help treat pain, avert another heart attack, or both, if you've had a heart attack. These procedures or treatments may consist of a stent, angioplasty, heart bypass surgery, heart valve surgery, pacemaker insertion, or a heart transplant. Medications, including painkillers, beta-blockers, and nitroglycerin, are frequently prescribed by doctors to aid with rehabilitation or to lessen the risk of having another heart attack.

Final Takeaway:

Although it can be simple to overlook the differences between cardiac arrest and heart attack, it's crucial to keep in mind that both are serious, potentially fatal situations. If you believe you or someone you know is suffering from either illness, seek medical attention right away. A doctor and medical staff can evaluate your symptoms and start treating you right away. Depending on how quickly you can get a doctor or other healthcare provider, your prognosis and course of treatment will change.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long do you live after a cardiac arrest?

If a cardiac arrest lasts longer than 8 minutes without CPR, it may be deadly. After only five minutes, brain damage can occur. Even if you are not in the hospital, you should begin receiving treatment for cardiac arrest straight away.

Is cardiac arrest painful?

Chest pain might occur in some persons in the first few seconds of an abrupt cardiac arrest. You don't experience discomfort after losing consciousness.

Which is worse - Cardiac arrest or heart attack?

The type of cardiac arrest which goes untreated is worse because it might result in death within minutes. Between 70 and 90 per cent of those who experience a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital pass away before getting there. After a cardiac arrest, there is a considerable chance of heart or brain damage, even with prompt medical attention.

Who is most vulnerable to heart attack?

People who are age 45 or above or have one of the mentioned habits/problems are most vulnerable to heart attack:

  • Tobacco use
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Family history of heart attacks

Who is most vulnerable to cardiac arrest?

People suffering from the following are most vulnerable to cardiac arrest:

  • A family history of CAD
  • Smoking
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • An inactive lifestyle
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