Differences Between Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest

Heart attack and cardiac arrest are some of the most dangerous medical emergencies a person can go through. The consequences of both a heart attack and cardiac arrest can be severe and in some cases even leads to death. Thus it’s important to understand what’s actually the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack. Medical definitions can be confusing but if you know the symptoms, precautions, and some emergency actions that you can take in case of any of these two, then you can surely save the life of your loved one.

What is a Heart Attack?

When the blood circulation gets blocked in the body, and enough oxygen-rich blood doesn’t reach the heart, in such conditions the heart muscles begin to die and thus causing a heart attack. It’s a myocardial infarction and in the case of a heart attack, almost all organs of the body start getting damaged due to the short supply of blood. 

Causes:

• Coronary heart disease is one of the primary causes of a heart attack.
• High blood pressure, high sugar, and high cholesterol levels.
• Lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, smoking, and obesity.

Symptoms:

• Sudden unbearable pain in the chest, in some cases, can also be mild slow chest pain repeating within every 3-4 hours.
• The symptoms of the heart attack may even vary with sex, apart from the common symptom i.e. chest pain women may feel nausea, shortness of breath, jaw or back pain, and vomiting.

Treatment:

• Angioplasty or heart bypass surgery.
• A stent or a heart valve surgery.
• Even in some cases, heart transplant surgery is needed.

What is a Cardiac Arrest?

A cardiac arrest is more dangerous than a heart attack as in this case the heartbeat immediately comes to zero, thus leading to sudden death. In order better understand cardiac arrest, let us consider a heart is connected to an electrical system that controls the rhythm and frequency of a heartbeat. So, when this electrical signal immediately collapses the rhythm of heartbeats suddenly stops leading to cardiac arrest.

Causes:

• Over-enlargement of the heart or electrical impulse problems.
• Irregularity in the shape of heart valves or underlying heart diseases.
• Unhealthy lifestyle, smoking, or history of a heart attack in the family.

Symptoms:

• A sudden collapse in heartbeat, and no pulse.
• Difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath, and unconsciousness.
• Chest pain and difficulty breathing are some of the symptoms that occur prior to sudden cardiac arrest.

Treatment:

• In most cases, cardiac arrest leads to sudden death, but the best emergency treatment can be CPR.
• In case a person survives a cardiac arrest, then medications can be used to prevent any other cardiac arrest in the future.

Difference between a Heart Attack & Cardiac Arrest:

Heart Attack	Cardiac Arrest
It occurs mainly due to blockage in the blood circulation system.	It occurs suddenly when the heart stops beating.
Coronary heart disease, high blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels are some of the major causes.	Irregular-shaped heart valves, underlying heart diseases, and unhealthy lifestyles are some of the major causes.
Chest pain, heavy sweating, nausea, and vomiting are some common symptoms.	No pulse, dizziness, shortness of breath, and unconsciousness are some common symptoms.
People with unhealthy lifestyles are prone to heart attacks.	People with bad habits such as smoking and unhealthy lifestyle are prone to cardiac arrest.
It may lead to death but takes time.	It can lead to sudden death.

Conclusion:

The best way to get rid of any risk of a heart attack or cardiac arrest is by living a healthy lifestyle. Also at the primary stage, if you observe something unusual with your health conditions, then it’s advisable to immediately see a doctor. As it’s always easy and better to treat a disease in its primary stage because small negligence can cost you your life. Also, it’s always good to know emergency medical treatment such as CPR, so that you can save the life of someone in need.

FAQs:

Q1. Which is more dangerous a heart attack or a cardiac arrest?

A cardiac arrest is way more dangerous than a heart attack, as it can lead to death within minutes. According to a report more than 70% of cardiac arrest patients die before reaching the hospital.

Q2. Can you survive a Heart Attack?

You can survive a heart attack but its probability is very low and especially for people aged above 45. Only 20% of people above the age of 45 survive a heart attack.

Q3. Can stress cause Cardiac Arrest?

Yes, in some cases stress can lead to a heart attack or cardiac arrest as well.

Q4. Can a teenager have a Heart Attack?

Yes, even a teenager can have a heart attack, but its probability is way lesser compared to adults.