What is the Difference Between Heart attack and Cardiac arrest?

Individuals can often mix up the terms cardiac arrest and heart attacks. While both are life threatening emergencies that require immediate medical attention and care, you should know the difference in case you need to spot the symptoms.

The main difference is that a severe heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest but not all cardiac arrests can be caused by a heart attack. A cardiac arrest can happen because of a sudden stopping of breathing, such as when choking or drowning. You may also have a cardiac arrest because of breathing issues caused by severe lung infections or an asthma attack.

You should always consult with your doctor about any symptom or condition you may be experiencing.

A heart attack is a term used to describe the issue of blockage or reduction of blood flow to the heart, which can cause severe pain and other associated symptoms. The difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest is that you may experience pain that is building up to a heart attack. In the case of a cardiac arrest there is a sudden pain in the chest region, followed by issues with pulse and then loss of consciousness.

In the case of a heart attack, there may be long-term degradations of the heart blood vessels which can impact heart health and lead to conditions such as atherosclerosis. If you have high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle, and poor dietary choices, then your risk of developing a heart condition rises over time. 

You should track these symptoms when you may have a heart attack scenario. You should rush to the hospital when you suspect that you may have a heart attack.

There may be sudden chest pain when you have a heart attack. It can feel like a building up of a stabbing or severe pain sensation in the chest area. You can also differentiate this pain from gas pains by the severity and intensity of the pain.

You can have shortness of breath when there is a heart attack happening. This can feel like a sudden lack of breath flow, with a sensation of pain in the chest region. You can also experience this along with a sensation of dizziness.

You can feel nauseous when you may have a chest pain that is associated with a heart attack. You can also experience pain in the left side of the chest which can start to build up leading up to a heart attack scenario.

You can have rapid heart beat and palpitations sensation as well, which can be tracked through a heart rate monitor. You may have to rush to the hospital to get the tests done to determine why you are experiencing this issue. 

There are the important signs of a cardiac arrest which you should watch out for. You can also get immediate help when you start seeing these signs so that you're able to provide the right treatment.

Someone might experience difficulty breathing when there is a cardiac arrest episode, which is why it is important to rush them to the hospital. You can also check for other signs such as gasping and choking sensation.

There may be a chest pain associated with the cardiac arrest. You can check for symptoms such as sweating, heartbeat issues, etc. which can also be connected to a cardiac arrest.

You can experience a loss of consciousness and it may be harder to wake someone up from a cardiac arrest consciousness loss. You can also check for the person's pulse when taking them to the hospital to monitor their condition.

The person may not show signs of a pulse when there is a cardiac arrest present. You can also check for other signs such as breathing and chest pain to check for the risk of cardiac arrest for the individual. 

It is important to note that both conditions are life threatening, which is why you should visit a hospital immediately. While it is important to know what is the difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest, a sudden cardiac arrest can be critical for the person.

There may be complications with blood flow to the heart, which is why heart attacks and cardiac arrests should be taken seriously. You should rush to the hospital when you start experiencing the symptoms and get treated immediately.

* * Medical Disclaimer - The following information is for educational purposes only. No information provided on this website, including text, graphic, and images, are intended as substitutes for professional medical advice. Please consult with your doctor about specific medical advice pertaining to your condition(s).