Was That Cardiac Arrest or Heart Attack?

A lot of persons tend to get confused or use the terms cardiac arrest and heart attack interchangeably, well If you fall into the category who gets confused by the terms used to describe heart attacks, you are really not alone. They are usually described as massive, mild or widow maker. But I'm a more serious note, these terms are not necessarily helpful, and they might just result in creating anxiety and confusion.

_{Image source}

There is a good news and a bad news here, let's take the good news first. The good news here is that a good number of persons who have suffered an heart attack have actually survived, but the bad news is that any heart attack could be fatal, irrespective of its size, small, big or where it occurs in the heart. Additionally, there seem to exist a lot of misunderstanding among the general public on what an heart attack actually is,

• The link between heart attack and cardiac arrest

Presumptuously, the most popular source of confusion is the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest. A heart attack which doctors call a myocardial infarction is simply defined as a damage to a part of the heart muscle as a result of an inadequate blood flow to such area. In most situations, this takes place due to a blockage in one of the heart’s arteries. Often referred to as type 1 heart attack, these blockages typically occur whenever there is a rapturing of the cholesterol-laden plaque lining an artery. At this point, there is formation of a clots which obstructs the vessel.

A Heart attacks is a plumbing problem, while cardiac arrest is an electrical problem. Cardiac arrest usually happens when there is a malfunctioning in the heart’s electrical system, thereby causing it to beat in a chaotic or rapid manner, and sometimes stop beating altogether. Without adequate blood circulating through to organs such as the brain, lungs, etc., the individual begins to gasps for or stops breathing and thus becomes quite unresponsive within some few seconds.

A heart attack is a very common cause of cardiac arrest, but it's not all heart attacks that results in cardiac arrest. Some other possible causes of cardiac arrest includes the following:

• Heart failure
• A clot in the lungs
• A serious imbalance of potassium, magnesium or other minerals in the blood
• A drug overdose
• A blow to the chest.

_{Image source}

A good number of heart attacks result in more harm than others do.

The term widow maker simply refers to a heart attack caused by a blockage near the top of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, the main artery that supplies blood to the front of the heart.

Heart attacks which involves the left anterior descending (LAD) aren't necessarily fatal, but the ones which involves other arteries could be very much deadly.

What Can You Do?

Call the hospital immediately or someone close by.. and here are the symptoms of a heart attack or cardiac arrest.

• An uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or pain in the chest

• Pain or other uncomfortable sensations in an arm, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach

• Shortness of breath

• A sudden nausea or vomiting

• Dizziness

• An unusual fatigue

When you happen to be the only person in place to give help, give hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until help arrives.