Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest are disorders related to the heart. But, there are differences between the two. During a heart attack, blood flow to the heart is blocked due to the blood clot or a buildup of plaque in the arteries. If the flow of blood is blocked, the muscle begins to die.
This is why heart attack sufferers need to be rushed into the best heart hospitals in Hyderabad for angioplasty to resolve the obstruction and restore blood flow. In the case of cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating and needs to be restarted.
Heart attack is a circulation problem and cardiac arrest is an electrical problem triggered by a disruption of the heart’s rhythm. Most cases of heart attacks do not necessarily lead to cardiac arrest. Although, when cardiac arrest happens, a heart attack is a common cause. A cardiac arrest is a temporary condition experienced during a medical emergency. And, it is not necessarily preceded by heart disease. Let us find out more on the difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest in the article below.
What is a Heart Attack?
A heart attack occurs when a part of the heart muscle doesn’t get a sufficient amount of blood. The greater delay in the treatment to restore blood flow; more will be the damage caused to the heart muscle. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the common causes of heart attacks.
What are the Symptoms of Heart Attack?
There are various symptoms of heart attack. Some of the major and well-known symptoms of heart attack are:
- Most heart attacks involve temporary discomfort in the center or left side of the chest. The discomfort can feel like unpleasant pressure or pain.
- Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint and pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back.
- Pain in one or both arms or shoulders and shortness of breath.
- Profuse sweating (cold sweats along with pain)
- Breathlessness!
Pre Heart Attack Symptoms Male and Pre Heart Attack Symptoms Female
Heart disease is known as one the leading causes of death for men in several countries. According to a study published in 2003, out of 515 women who had experienced a heart attack, 80 percent suffered at least 1 symptom weeks before their heart attack.
Like any other disease, the symptoms of pre heart attack can vary from person to person and even between one episode in the same person. The most common symptom of heart attack witnessed in both males and females is chest pain or discomfort. Unusual fatigue is another symptom often reported in various cases in the weeks leading up to a heart attack.
According to a study, almost half of women reported issues with sleep in the weeks before they had a heart attack. Some may possibly even feel pain or pressure in the stomach before a heart attack occurs. There may be other digestive issues associated with a possible heart attack, for example, indigestion, nausea and vomiting.
Causes of Heart Attack
As mentioned above, a heart attack occurs when one or more of your coronary arteries become blocked. During the course of a heart attack, a plaque can crack. Spilling cholesterol and other substances into the bloodstream. Formation of blood clots can be witnessed at the site of the rupture. And, if the clot is large, it can block blood flow through the coronary artery. This would lead to starving the heart muscles of oxygen and nutrients. A complete blockage means ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and a partial blockage can lead to a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).
Heart Attack Treatment
After a silent heart attack, heart tissue deteriorates or dies. But, restoring blood flow quickly! helps prevent heart damage. There are certain medications to treat a heart attack such as Aspirin. It reduces blood clotting, thus helping maintain blood flow through a narrowed artery. Thrombolytics help dissolve a blood clot that’s blocking blood flow to your heart.
In addition to medications, you might have to go through one of the surgical procedures to treat your heart attack. These procedures are called Coronary angioplasty.
What Causes Cardiac Arrest or Why do Cardiac Arrests Happen?
Normally electricity is produced in a small node in the right upper chamber of the heart and flow through the heart muscle in cutting it to contract when the electricity gets transmitted and chaotic either during a heart attack or it in hearts that are enlarged it leads to rapid irregular contraction of the lower chambers of the heart called Ventricular Fibrillation.
To know about why does cardiac arrest happen, we need to understand its causes. Two of the most common causes are Ventricular and Atrial Fibrillation. The two lower chambers of heart are the ventricles, in ventricular fibrillation, these chambers seem to be out of control which causes the heart’s rhythm to change dramatically. This may even lead to sudden cardiac death.
Atrial fibrillation begins when the sinoatrial node doesn’t send out the correct electrical impulses. When the electrical impulse goes into atrial fibrillation, the ventricles are unable to pump blood out to the body efficiently.
What are the Symptoms of Cardiac Arrest?
If you are in cardiac arrest, you may become dizzy, experience shortness of breath, feel fatigued or weak and experience heart palpitations. However, at times, cardiac arrest may not have symptoms before it occurs. But, if you do have symptoms that need prompt medical care.
What is the Treatment for Cardiac Arrest?
CPR is the most common form of emergency treatment for cardiac arrest. Another treatment could be Defibrillation. Other than these treatments, medication can lower high blood pressure and cholesterol. And, surgery can repair damaged blood vessels or heart valves. It can also bypass or eliminate blockages in the arteries. Additionally, exercise may improve cardiovascular fitness and dietary changes can help you lower cholesterol.
Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest can be fatal. In order to prevent these types of heart disorders, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You must engage in regular exercises and consume only healthy food to remain fit, prevent and even treat heart and other diseases.
To know more about how to improve heart health quickly, you must reach out to a cardiologist.
