Differences Between Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest

People mistakenly believe that a heart attack and cardiac arrest are the same. Though both are serious life-threatening situations, it is important to understand the difference between them. A heart attack occurs when a blockage in one of the coronary arteries causes a part of the heart muscle to die. Cardiac arrest, on the other hand, occurs when electrical activity in the heart suddenly becomes chaotic, disrupting its pumping action and leading to a sudden loss of consciousness. Both are serious medical conditions that require an immediate medical response. It is important to first understand what happens in both processes, what causes them, and how to treat and diagnose them.

What is a Heart Attack? How does it feel?

A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, happens when the blood supply to the heart is cut off or blocked. If the heart does not get enough oxygen-rich blood, it can hurt one of the most important organs in the body, and the heart muscle can start to die.

When you have a heart attack, blood flow to part of your heart stops or drops below normal, damaging the heart muscle. When a cardiac muscle dies from lack of blood supply, it can interrupt the entire heart's pumping sequence. This lowers or stops blood flow to the rest of your body, which can be fatal.

What is Cardiac Arrest? How does it feel?

Cardiac arrest happens when the heart suddenly stops pumping. If this happens, the blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs, which is caused by certain types of arrhythmias that stop the heart from pumping blood.

Symptoms of Heart Attack:

Heart attacks can start suddenly or slowly with moderate, intermittent chest pain. The symptoms can vary, and if you have had one heart attack, symptoms may be different the next time. Symptoms can vary between males and females, although chest pain is the most prevalent for both. However, women are more likely to experience lesser common symptoms than men such as back pain, indigestion, shortness of breath.

The most common symptoms of heart attack include,

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Sudden dizziness
• Chest pain / pressure around the chest area
• Pain or discomfort in the regions of neck, arm, shoulder, neck, jaw and back.

Symptoms of Cardiac Arrest:

A cardiac arrest often occurs without any prior symptoms for certain people. Certain individuals do, however, show precursory symptoms before a cardiac arrest. These may include:

• Dizziness
• Palpitations
• Fainting
• Nausea and vomiting

A person who has previously experienced a cardiac arrest will be:

• Unconscious
• Having no breath

Causes of Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest:

Most heart attacks are caused by coronary heart disease, which prevents your heart from getting enough oxygen. Risk factors of heart attack can include:

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Stress
• Lack of exercise
• Drug use

Certain heart conditions and health factors, like coronary heart disease, can increase your risk to have a cardiac arrest. The risk factors of cardiac arrest include:

• Heart attack
• Smoking
• High blood sugar
• Drug overdose
• Haemorrhage
• Electrocution

Diagnosis of Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest:

When the symptoms of heart attack are suspected, it is mandatory to immediately get rushed to the hospital. Immediately, an electrocardiogram (ECG) should be taken, which is a crucial diagnostic tool, and it needs to be completed within the first 10 minutes of hospitalisation.

An ECG is important as:

• It reveals the presence or absence of current or previous heart attacks.
• It helps figure out what kind of heart attack you have had, which will help you get the right treatment.

During a cardiac episode, you must seek medical assistance quickly. Medical treatment will focus on getting blood flowing to your body and your doctor may perform an electrocardiogram to diagnose your abnormal heart rhythm. To cure the problem, your doctor will likely shock your heart using a defibrillator since electric shock can typically reset the heart to normal rhythm.

Other tests after a cardiac arrest include:

• Chest X-ray
• Blood tests

Treatment of Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest:

Depending on the urgency of the situation, a cardiologist may suggest a variety of treatments for patients who have suffered a heart attack, including those intended to alleviate pain, reduce the risk of a subsequent attack, or do both.

Few treatments may include:

• Bypass surgery
• Angioplasty
• Cardiomyoplasty
• Heart transplant
• Stent

When a person goes into cardiac arrest, one of the emergency treatments available is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Defibrillation is yet another. If your heart has stopped beating, these therapies will get it beating again. Depending on the severity of the cardiac arrest and the patient's overall health, the doctor may immediately begin treatment to lower the patient's risk of another cardiac event.

The treatments might include:

• Medication
• Surgery
• Healthier and active lifestyle

What to do in Emergency Situations?

If you know that a person is suffering from a heart attack, the following emergency steps should be taken immediately to rescue the patient.

• Call 911 or local emergency number: Don't disregard warning signs of a heart attack, whether you are experiencing them yourself or witnessing them in someone else. If you need to get to the hospital and cannot get an ambulance, you should plan for a friend or anyone to accompany you, or you ought to drive by yourself if there is no other option.
• Chewing Aspirin: When you wait for an emergency help, chewing and swallowing 325 milligrams of aspirin can help from the blood clotting, which can reduce the heart damage. But it is necessary to avoid aspirin if you are allergic to it.
• Begin CPR: If the person is not breathing or you cannot find a pulse, start CPR to keep the blood flowing after calling 911. Push fixed in the center of the person's chest in a fast rhythm, about 100 to 120 compressions a minute.
• Use AED: You can start using it following the instructions given in there. An Automated External Defibrillator, or AED, is a device used to help people who have a sudden cardiac arrest. It is a high-tech but easy-to-use medical device that can check the heart's rhythm and, if needed, send an electrical shock to help the heart get back into a good rhythm. It is always advisable to have an AED device at your home, especially if you have heart disease or family history of coronary artery disease. It is necessary that everyone possess the first aid kit and healthcare essentials at their homes.