Heart Attack or Sudden Cardiac Arrest: How Are They Different?

Heart attack and cardiac arrest cannot be assumed as the same thing. However, one of these things leads to another. These two terms are often used interchangeably but they have different meanings.

Heart Attack

A heart attack is a condition in which an artery is blocked preventing oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart. This leads to the death of that tissue of the heart, which is supplied by the blocked artery. In case of delayed treatment, the person may get a heart attack. 

Typical symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Chest pain 
• Tightness in the chest
• Pain in the lower jaw, neck, right arm, back, and upper abdomen.
• Shortness of breath

The symptoms often start gradually and long for several hours, days or even weeks before a heart attack takes place. The signs and symptoms in men may differ from those in women. 

Cardiac Arrest

This type of condition has a sudden onset. It may be stimulated by abnormalities such as irregular heartbeat. The heart fails to pump blood to the brain, lungs, and other organs. The patient may also lose consciousness after a few seconds. He /she may also lose the pulse. This is a fatal condition and immediate treatment is required.

The signs and symptoms are serious and immediate. These include, 

• Loss of consciousness
• Sudden collapsing
•  No pulse
• Reduced breathing rate

A few signs may be seen before cardiac arrest in some cases such as, 

• Shortness of breath
• Discomfort in the chest
• Weakness
• Palpitations

How are they related to each other?

Even though heart attack and cardiac arrest are two different situations, one can precede another. Heart attack increases the risk of having a sudden cardiac arrest.  In other words, a heart attack is the most common cause of cardiac arrest. 

According to the best cardiac surgeons in India, there are some other heart-related conditions that can lead to cardiac arrest are cardiomyopathy, heart failure, arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation, and long Q-T syndrome. 

There are many best heart surgery hospitals in India where patients from all over the world can receive affordable medical treatments from the best cardiac surgeons. This is the major reason why every year a large number of people travel to India for healthcare services.

What are the immediate actions to be taken?

The following things must be kept in mind when one comes across a person with the aforementioned symptoms:

1. Recognising the symptoms 
2. Call the emergency number to reach the nearest hospital
3. If possible, chew and swallow aspirin. Please check that you are not allergic to aspirin.
4. Take nitroglycerine, if your doctor has prescribed it to you previously. 
5. If you are with the person getting a heart attack, you may begin Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.