Know The Difference Between A Heart Attack And A Cardiac Arrest

A heart attack and cardiac arrest are not the same; they are two different heart conditions with different symptoms and treatments.

Representative Image. Heart disease makes it difficult for your heart to function correctly

Source : Getty Images

(Written By Dr Ajit Mehta)

Your heart is a muscular organ that circulates blood throughout your body. Your organs and tissues receive essential nourishment and oxygen from this process. Heart disease makes it difficult for your heart to function correctly and can have major health consequences. The two most serious heart diseases are heart attack and cardiac arrest. 

We are familiar with the terms heart attack and cardiac arrest and often confuse the two as they signify heart-related health problems. However, a heart attack and cardiac arrest are not the same; they are two different heart conditions with different symptoms and treatments. Thus, it is critical to understand them thoroughly and be able to distinguish between the two in an emergency.

Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to the heart is significantly impeded or blocked. The accumulation of fat, cholesterol in the heart's (coronary) arteries typically causes obstruction. A shortage of blood flow can cause damage to a portion of the heart muscles. Therefore, a person suffering from a heart attack should be rushed to the hospital to save the damage by resolving the obstruction and restoring the blood flow either by giving blood dissolving medication (Thrombolysis) or by doing Early Angioplasty (PAMI) Primary Angioplasty.

Shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, perspiration, and heavy or scorching pain that spreads to one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach are all common signs of a heart attack. Although a heart attack's symptoms can often appear suddenly, this is not always the case. Some patients experience mild and progressive symptoms that build over days to weeks. The heart continues to beat and does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood because of the blockage.

A person having a heart attack may feel pain in the middle of their chest. This pain can also spread to their back, jaw, or arms. It is possible to feel pain in these places without pain in the chest. Sometimes, people mistake a heart attack for indigestion as they experience pain in their stomachs.

Cardiac Arrest

During cardiac arrest, the heart stops pumping and needs to be revived immediately.

When the heart stops pumping blood throughout the body, cardiac arrest occurs quickly and typically without warning. If not treated immediately, a person can go unconscious and die within minutes. Most heart attacks do not lead to cardiac arrest. However, a heart attack is a common cause of cardiac arrest. A prominent cause of cardiac arrest is an arrhythmia known as ventricular fibrillation (VFib), which is triggered due to a heart attack. 

Typically, loss of consciousness is the first sign of cardiac arrest. An hour before cardiac arrest, a person may experience warning signals such as a rapid heartbeat, light-headedness or dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and vomiting. If someone has already suffered a cardiac arrest, they may be unconscious, unresponsive, and not breathing or breathing irregularly.

CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) can significantly improve a patient's survival rate. CPR is used to pump the heart to start the blood flow and get it circulating to the organs. AED sends an electric shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm. Therefore, it's essential to use both these tools appropriately.

The author is an Interventional Cardiologist, Jehangir Hospital (an associate hospital of the Apollo Hospitals group)

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