Dr. Reid answers the question: 'How Do Heart Attack, Cardiac Arrest Differ?'
Question: How Is A Heart Attack Different From Cardiac Arrest?
Answer: A heart attack and cardiac arrest are two different things. A heart attack is when the heart muscle actually dies because it can't get enough oxygen or blood flow usually due to a clogged artery. People who have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, diabetics and smokers are at greater risk of developing these plaques that break off and cause a heart attack.
Heart attacks can look differently on different people. Some people complain of chest pain, upper abdominal pain, jaw pain or arm pain. Some complain of shortness of breath or just not feeling quite right. So if you think that you're having a heart attack, go to the emergency room and be evaluated by a physician.
Now cardiac arrest is when the heart stops working properly; the electricity goes haywire, and the heart just stops beating. The person usually passes out and stops breathing. So they'll need CPR and ultimately defibrillation to shock the heart back into rhythm.
Cardiac arrest happens for different reasons. The most common are heart attacks and heart disease. Most cardiac arrest victims don't make it to the hospital alive. So if you suspect this, call 911 and start CPR immediately.
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