According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is one of the leading killers of Americans. Two serious heart problems are heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest.
What Is A Heart Attack?
A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs when the blood supply to the heart is reduced or stopped entirely. This is often caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries supplying the heart. If the blood supply is reduced long enough, permanent damage to the heart muscle can result.
What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating, and can be caused by a number of factors, including heart disease, recreational drug use, electrical abnormalities within the heart, and scarring from a previous heart attack. Sudden cardiac arrest strikes suddenly, and often causes death within minutes of onset.
Signs and Symptoms of A Heart Attack
Heart attacks often have numerous warning signs, including:
- chest discomfort, including feelings of pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain
- pain radiating down one or both arms
- jaw pain, toothache or headache
- heartburn or indigestion
- shortness of breath
- nausea, lightheadedness and sweating
While many patients experience the warning signs of a heart attack, some heart attacks occur with no symptoms at all. These heart attacks are known as silent heart attacks. Although no symptoms are felt by the patient, damage can still occur to the heart muscle.
Signs of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac arrest strikes without warning. Signs include:
- sudden collapse and loss of consciousness
- no signs of breathing
- patient is unresponsive
- loss of pulse
Cardiac arrest is often fatal, as brain damage begins quickly due to a lack of oxygen. Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation can increase the chances of the patient's survival.
Diagnosis
Heart problems are diagnosed not only by the patient's presenting symptoms, but also by the following:
- medical history of the patient, and family history of cardiovascular problems
- electrocardiogram, or EKG
- blood tests for enzymes that can show damage to the heart muscle
- physical examination
Treatment for Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Heart Attack
For anyone experiencing heart problems, immediate treatment is important to prevent further complications, and even death. Patients who are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack should see a doctor immediately. Patients who have suffered sudden cardiac arrest are in grave danger of dying within minutes of onset, and emergency personnel must be called quickly in order to save the life of the patient.
Patients who have experienced a heart attack may receive some of the following treatments:
- immediate dosage of drugs to dissolve coronary blood clots and restore blood flow to the heart muscle
- surgery to improve the blood supply to the heart (also known as coronary artery bypass surgery)
Patients may also take medication following their heart attack to prevent further blood clots, and may be encouraged to make changes to their diet and activity levels in order to improve their heart health.
The survival of patients who have suffered sudden cardiac arrest can be greatly improved by the immediate administration of CPR and defibrillation. Patients who survive may receive some of the following treatments:
- cardiac catheterization
- coronary bypass surgery
- balloon angioplasty
- implantable pacemaker or defibrillator
- heart transplant
Sources
americanheart.org;Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs (accessed December 19, 2009)
medicinenet.com; Sudden Cardiac Arrest (Sudden Cardiac Death) (accessed December 19, 2009)
Catherine Walsh - Catherine Walsh is a professional actor, playwright, and freelance writer. A graduate of the University of Ottawa, Catherine's film ...
Join the Conversation