What's the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack?

New cases of heart attack arise everyday all over the world. And then sometimes, it is reported that an individual died of cardiac arrest? Are they the same thing?

The short answer is: no.

A heart attack, simply put, is when one of the coronary arteries become blocked, cutting off blood supply to the heart muscle. And a cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating due to an abnormal heart rhythm.

Here, you'll learn all about both life-threatening situations and the relationship between them.

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack is a situation that occurs when a blood vessel (or an artery) that supplies blood to the heart muscle becomes blocked.

The heart muscle then loses oxygen because the blood supply has been cut short. Not only that but the heart cells also begin to die and symptoms like chest pain develop.

The heart usually keeps beating but not for long unless there is timely intervention.

What causes most heart attacks?

While the blockage that causes a heart attack can be sudden, the narrowing of coronary arteries (which is called atherosclerosis) that lead to the blockage typically occurs over an extended period of time due to several factors.

They include:

• High blood pressure

• Diabetes

• Sedentary lifestyle

• Diet choices

Although these factors do not directly cause a heart attack, they can increase the risk of its occurrence.

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What causes the chest pain symptom?

The limited blood flow as the narrowing becomes more severe causes chest pain when people exert themselves.

A person may be able to go about their daily life without any pain or discomfort, but when they exert themselves, they may experience chest pain caused by that restricted blood flow.

Usually, the pain goes away once the exertion is stopped.

The pain is called angina. It is a sign of blockages but doesn’t typically involve having active damage to the heart muscle.

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However, it is progressive.

Over time, it will take less and less physical exertion to experience the same pain and symptoms. 

Therefore, don't hesitate to bring up this symptom with your general practitioner (GP) or primary care doctor (PCP).

Based on their expertise, they can recommend you for a stress test or refer you to a cardiologist.

What is a cardiac arrest?

A cardiac arrest happens when a person's heart stops pumping blood around their body (to the brain and other organs and tissues) — essentially, it suddenly stops beating — which leads to abnormal breathing.

Can a heart attack cause a cardiac arrest?

In some cases, cardiac arrests happen because of a heart attack. This is because a person who is having a heart attack may develop a dangerous heart rhythm, which can cause a cardiac arrest.

However, most heart attacks do not lead to a cardiac arrest.

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What are the other factors that can cause a cardiac arrest?

Beyond heart attacks, the following factors can cause a cardiac arrest:

• An abnormal heart rhythm: This is a common cause of cardiac arrest, especially in adults.

• Stopped breathing: Such a situation happens when a person chokes on something or drowns.

• Untreated lung infection or asthma attack: If a person cannot breathe well enough because of a severe lung infection or severe asthma attack that is left untreated, it can lead to a cardiac arrest.

• A blood clot in the lung: When there is a very large blood clot in the lung, it can cause a cardiac arrest.

It's not always easy to determine the cause of a cardiac arrest when it happens.

If you witness a situation where you think someone may be having a cardiac arrest, call emergency services and immediately start CPR.

What to do in an emergency

Both heart attacks and cardiac arrest share a common characteristic: they are life-threatening events that demand immediate medical intervention.

As a witness or sufferer, always call emergency services and have an ambulance take you or the person to the hospital rather than driving yourself.

It's better this way so that the affected individual can have the necessary medical attention during the ride.