Heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest, the two most common life-threatening cardiac conditions, may seem the same, but they are totally different. Understanding the difference between heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest are crucial. Guidance from a Heart Surgery Specialist in Delhi highlights the difference between a heart attack and sudden cardiac and can help raise awareness about timely action. This makes people aware of one’s heart condition and helps promptly take necessary action before it's too late.
Type of Problem:
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A heart attack is a condition resulting from a blockage in one of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.
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Cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction of the heart that leads to an abnormal heart rhythm/beating.
Causes:
A heart attack happens due to one of the following reasons:
Coronary Artery Disease - A heart attack primarily occurs when an artery becomes narrowed by the build-up of fat/cholesterol (plaque) on its wall, a condition called atherosclerosis. The most common cause is coronary artery disease. A coronary artery brings blood to the heart muscles for their functioning. When it's diseased, the rupture of the plaque within the artery can cause blood clots to form. The blood clots or air bubbles may even travel to the artery from elsewhere. They completely obstruct the oxygen-rich blood flow to the heart muscles, leading to a heart attack.
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Coronary Artery Spasms- A sudden contraction and relaxation or spasms of the coronary artery can considerably impact the blood flow to the heart, causing a heart attack.
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Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection- It happens when the artery wall tears and blood flows in between the wall layers to cause blood clots or blockage, and subsequently a heart attack. The tears can occur because of a severe trauma or injury.
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Severe Oxygen Deprivation (Hypoxia)- A low-oxygen level in the blood supply to the heart, probably because of carbon monoxide poisoning, can cause heart muscle damage and trigger a heart attack. This is a rare cause.
A sudden cardiac arrest can occur due to the following reasons:
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Electrical failure in the heart - It is the abnormal pumping/beating of the heart due to disorganized electrical activity in the heart. Ventricular fibrillation is the twitching of the lower chambers of the heart that causes cardiac arrhythmia and is the main, direct cause of sudden cardiac arrest.
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Underlying heart conditions- An electrical instability/disturbance that contributes to sudden cardiac arrest can be caused by coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, congenital heart defect, heart valve disease, or cardiomyopathy.
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Non-cardiac factors- These include huge blood loss, several electrical disorders, sepsis, physical trauma, and certain toxic ingestions.
Signs and Symptoms:
Heart Doctor in Delhi explains that the symptoms of a heart attack may occur immediately and be intense or may be mild and gradually show up. They differ for both men and women. Sometimes, symptoms may not be present. The commonly reported signs that warn of a heart attack include:
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Chest pain or angina
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Pain radiating to the jaw, arm, neck, or back
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Shortness of breath
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Cold sweats
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Nausea.
The signs of a sudden cardiac arrest include:
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Sudden loss of consciousness
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Loss of pulse/ stopped beating of the heart
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Stopped breathing.
Effect on Heart:
If a heart attack is not promptly treated, the major sections of the heart muscle will die due to oxygen deprivation. In case the treatment is delayed or not provided, the damage to the cardiac muscles increases without treatment over time and ultimately causes death.
If sudden cardiac arrest symptoms are not addressed within a few minutes, the patient will die. That’s because the heart is no longer able to pump blood to the vital organs- the brain, lungs, and others.
How to Respond/ The Treatment:
In either case, an emergency intervention is necessary to save lives.
For a heart attack, call for immediate action, seek emergency treatment. The treatment depends on the severity of the heart attack. The recommended options are medications, angioplasty (stent placement), or coronary artery bypass graft surgery, which helps restore normal blood flow to the heart.
For a sudden cardiac arrest, immediately call for emergency and start CPR until the emergency doctors take over. An automated external defibrillator will have to be used to restart the heart's pumping and save the patient's life. Children and teenagers having a cardiac arrest need to be first checked for the blockage of their airway, as respiratory arrest commonly causes cardiac arrest. Adults must be checked for responsiveness, and then emergency medical services must be considered.
Know the differences early and act promptly. For expert guidance on cardiac care and Open-Heart Surgery in Delhi, consult heart surgeon Dr. Sujay Shad for details.
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