A heart attack and a cardiac arrest are two different medical emergencies. As both of these situations are related to the cardiology department but both are operated in different ways. In this article we are going to tell you the difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest in detail so let’s get started.
Heart Attack:
Heart attack: Occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked and there’s an oxygen shortage. The result? The body’s organs don’t receive enough oxygen. This type of emergency, also called a myocardial infarction, leads to chest pains that can spread to your shoulder and arms, sweating, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or lightheadedness; in some cases you may actually pass out from low blood pressure.
In a heart attack, the blood supply to the heart muscle is interrupted. In response, the heart muscle cells begin to consume stored energy for energy. The end result is that the supply of nutrients to the heart muscle cells is severely restricted.
If you have a heart attack, your blood pressure rises and it becomes very difficult for you to breathe normally. Your heartbeat may become very rapid (this is known as tachycardia). If there’s no circulation in your body, your temperature may rise (this is known as hyperthermia) and you may develop tiredness (called exertional heat stroke).
Heart specialists in Nagpur say if you feel severe pain in your upper left body i.e chest and arm it might be possible that you are having a heart attack . In such a case you should contact emergency services immediately and you should keep calm as panicness may cause more trouble for you.
Cardiac Arrest:
Cardiac arrest: A complete stoppage of blood flow and breathing. This is a medical emergency requiring immediate help. Not caused by the heart, but instead caused by the brain. This can be due to many different things, such as trauma or drowning but when it occurs in the body during a person’s cardiac arrest, it’s called ventricular fibrillation and requires immediate medical intervention particularly if you are unresponsive to treatment. Symptoms of ventricular fibrillation include a racing heartbeat or irregular heartbeats, fever, seizures or swollen hands or feet.
Cardiac arrest: A sudden disruption of the electrical system in the heart that prevents it from pumping blood efficiently through the body—in other words a malfunctioning pacemaker. Most often, this condition occurs with a malfunctioning ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator).
Cardiac arrest is often initially misdiagnosed as a heart attack, even when it occurs in the hospital. This is because the symptoms are so similar and because the initial treatment goals are typically to stabilise the patient rather than cure them, but this is not to say that this should be taken lightly.
The most common symptom of a cardiac arrest is unconsciousness. If you see someone unresponsive and not breathing, call for help immediately. Shout for help if no one is around. If someone is watching you, get them to call emergency services as soon as possible – it only takes a minute or two to die from a cardiac arrest . If you live alone and have no one nearby to help, you can start chest compressions. It is very important that the person’s chest be flat between the ear and the collarbone. You should be on top of them with your hands on their shoulders and make sure that they are not leaning back too far.
In case you are having a heart issue you should pay a visit to a cardiologist as soon as possible. I will recommend you to consult Dr. Vina Bang. Dr. Bang is one of the best cardiologists located in Nagpur Maharashtra having an Experience of more than 13 years. You will get extensive patient care in their medical facility so if you are having any issue you should most pay a visit.
