Cardiac arrest and heart attack are two utterly different heart conditions that may occur anytime, but most people confuse these two conditions. So now it’s time that we analyze the fundamental difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest. Both of these impact the same organ, but they have different symptoms, cause and treatment approach.

A heart attack happens when the heart fails to pump the blood, whereas cardiac arrestis more of an electrical malfunction in the heart. To understand this, we must firstunderstand the exact underlying cause behind these conditions and every little factrelated to it to get a clear idea about the difference between heart attack and cardiacarrest.

Cardiac Arrest vs Heart Attack

On the contrary, a heart attack occurs due to a blockage in the coronary arteries asthese are responsible for transporting the oxygen-rich blood flow into the heart. Nowwhen an artery gets blocked, eliminating this blockage is complicated and as a result ofwhich the affected area starts dying slowly. However, in cardiac arrest, the heart doesnot stop beating, but this can also be fatal if not cared about on time.

Symptoms- Now speaking about cardiac arrest vs heart attack in terms of symptoms,both these conditions exhibit similar symptoms. The early cardiac arrest symptomsinclude difficulty breathing, dizziness, weakness, chest pain and even nausea. For evena few seconds, patients enduring cardiac arrest will lose their breath, becomeunresponsive or even unconscious and might be left with no pulse.

Whereas, the early symptoms of heart attack are slightly different from cardiac arrest. Aperson enduring will mostly start to feel anxious, lightheaded, sick, weak, and even alittle chest pain. When the heart attack commences, the person may start coughing,wheezing and may even feel extreme chest pain accompanied by extreme sweating.

Causes- Cardiac arrests mostly occur due to several factors like excessive alcoholconsumption, electrocution, drop in blood pressure, drug usage and other causes.Arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm, other heart diseases and heart attacks may alsolead to a cardiac arrest situation.

However, a heart attack is usually more common in smokers; obese or older adultshave high blood pressure or are suffering from diabetes. Not just this, people who leadan unhealthy lifestyle, have a family history of heart disease or have high cholesterolare also at a higher risk of suffering from a heart attack.

Post-occurrence Dealing with the condition – When comparing what’s the differencebetween cardiac arrest and heart attack one must know that anyone suffering from acardiac arrest has all the chances of survival only with rapid medical intervention.However, the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) must be performed immediatelyafter getting a cardiac arrest. The CPR must be continued until the person receivesprofessional medical service and in extreme cases, Automated External Defibrillator(AED) may also be used.

The AED is such a device that sends an electric shock to the heart that also helps torestore the heartbeat. Furthermore, people suffering from a heart attack may endure

symptoms much before the actual attack. In case you find any of the early symptoms ofa heart attack, you must rush to the hospital as early as possible especially if you haveanyone in your family who has dealt with similar conditions in your family history. Youmust be very cautious and immediately consult with a doctor even when the slightestchest pain appears, or the pain spreads through your arms or jaws.

Is There Any Link Between These Two Conditions?

You might be surprised after knowing the difference between a cardiac arrest and heartattack that these two conditions are likewise linked. Anyone may experience a suddencardiac arrest following with a heart attack or during the recovery period. However,heart attacks may increase the chances of a sudden cardiac arrest, but most heartattacks do not lead to a cardiac arrest situation suddenly.

Still, there are numerous heart conditions like long Q-T syndrome, cardiomyopathy,heart failure, arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation, etc. that may arise that might end updisrupting the heart’s rhythm that may take you a step closer to a cardiac arrest. Youmay always seek professional help even with the slightest symptoms to help youundergo a faster diagnosis and recovery.

How To Stop The Occurrence?

After reading all the heart attack vs cardiac arrest differences one must be aware thatheart diseases can be dangerous unless your underlying heart diseases are notcontrolled. Now there are several ways to keep your heart healthy, and the first elementis by leading a healthy lifestyle. Exercising and eating healthy food is one of the mostcrucial things that need to be done regularly to keep your heart healthy.

A person must also eliminate unhealthy habits like smoking, emotional stress, obesity,cholesterol, diabetes, and pressure to minimize the chances of getting a heart attack ora cardiac arrest. To ensure that you can help the person experiencing a heart attack or

a cardiac arrest, you must first understand the primary difference between heart attackand cardiac arrest.

That will help you deal with the situation more tactfully or explain to the doctoreverything about the patient’s physical condition. However, apart from the factors thatyou know, several unknown factors may also give rise to such conditions and might takethe situation out of control.

We can’t do things that are out of our control, but we must do what’s within our power,leading a healthy lifestyle to minimize the risk of having heart diseases. Be healthy, getyour heart checked frequently and remember fast actions can save a life.