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Knowing The Life Saving Differences Between Cardiac Arrest, Heart Attack And Stroke

When does a heart attack occur?

This happens when the blood supply is blocked by norrwoing the arteries of through a blood clot. The dangers occur when blood flow isn’t restored quickly or the lack of exygen damages the heart muscle, which is then beginning to die.

The cardiac arrest is happening when the heart malfunctions and all of the sudden stops beating. When it then stops pumping there is no blood flow to the brain, lungs and other organs.

When does a stroke happen?

Strokes can happen when blood that is flowing to the brain is suddenly stopping. It only takes a few minutes until the cells begin to die off.

Cardiac Arrest: A problem Concerning the Electrical System of the Heart

Cardiac arrest is the sudden, unexpected loss of heart function which results in loss of breathing and consciousness. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs because of an electrical disorder in the heart that disrupts its regular pumping action, obstructing the blood flow to the rest of your body. This is called arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), and even a complete stop of the pumping action of the heart.

Sudden cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack, which occurs when blood flow to the heart is obstructed. However, a heart attack can sometimes cause an electrical disturbance that leads to sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. If not treated immediately, it can lead to sudden death because the heart is unable to pump blood and the supply of oxygen to various parts of the body, particularly the brain, is blocked. According to experts, nearly 360,000 of cardiac arrests in US occur outside the hospital annually. Here are the risk factors: age, smoking, alcohol or drugs abuse, gender and family history, history of arrhythmias, coronary heart disease.

Heart Attack: A Problem with the Supply of Blood to the Heart Itself

A heart attack happens when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked, most often by a build-up of fat, cholesterol and other substances, which form a plaque in the arteries that feed the heart (coronary arteries). The interrupted blood flow can damage or destroy part of the heart muscle. A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, can be fatal if you do not react on time. Therefore, heart attack is a state of emergency and you need to call 911 immediately if you have any of the following symptoms.

Pressure, tightness, pain, or aching feeling in your chest or arms which may spread to your neck, jaw or back, nausea, shortness of breath, faintness or sudden dizziness, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain, cold sweat, fatigue. During a heart attack the heart does not stop beating. Risk factors: Improper diet, stress, hypertension, age, smoking, unhealthy lifestyle, diabetes, obesity, family history, gender.

Stroke: A Problem Concerning the Interruption or Severe Reduction of Blood Supply to the Brain

Strokes happen when blood flow to your brain stops. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of stroke. Ischemic stroke, which is more common, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. The other kind, called hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. A stroke is a medical emergency.

Stroke symptoms include: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, particularly on one side of the body, problems with speaking or understanding speech, sudden confusion, sudden vision problem, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, sudden severe headache with no known cause. Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States.

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