Difference Between Heart Attack And Cardiac Arrest
People often think that a heart attack is the same thing as a cardiac arrest. This, however, is not true. In order to understand the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest, it is first necessary to understand what happens in both of these processes.
What Is A Heart Attack?
The heart is a muscle, and like all muscles it requires an oxygen-rich blood supply. This is provided to the heart by coronary arteries. A heart attack occurs when there is a blockage of the coronary arteries. This is often caused by a blood clot. Such a blockage, if not quickly resolved, can cause parts of heart muscle to begin to die.
What Is A Cardiac Arrest?
A cardiac arrest is different to a heart attack. In a cardiac arrest the heart actually stops beating; whereas in a heart attack the heart normally continues to beat even though the blood supply to the heart is disrupted.
Symptoms Of A Heart Attack And Of Cardiac Arrest
In addition to the physiological mechanism being different, the symptoms of a heart attack and a cardiac arrest also vary.
Symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Chest Pain – This Is Often A Feeling Of Tightness In The Center Of The Chest Which May Last For Several Minutes And Will Not Decrease Upon Resting (Although The Most Common Symptom Of A Heart Attack, Not All Patients Having A Heart Attack Will Experience Chest Pain)
- Spreading Of Chest Pain To Other Areas, Most Commonly To The Arms, Jaw, Neck, Back And Abdomen
- Shortness Of Breath
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Feeling Or Being Sick
- Anxiety
- Sweating
- Weakness
- Palpitations (Noticeable Heartbeats)
Symptoms of a cardiac arrest include:
- Sudden Loss Of Consciousness/Responsiveness
- No Breathing
- No Pulse
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Feeling Or Being Sick
- Anxiety
- Sweating
- Weakness
- Palpitations (Noticeable Heartbeats)