A sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency where the patient’s heart stops functioning. This serious medical condition might lead to unexpected loss of consciousness and further complications including fatality.
This severe condition causes the heart to stop functioning normally. The electrical impulses controlling the heartbeat change their pattern, thereby becoming irregular. Once the rhythmic pattern stops, it leads to cardiac arrest.
People are often confused and consider that heart attack and cardiac arrest are the same, but they are not. The symptoms, causes, and cardiac arrest treatment are different and distinguishable.
Cardiac Arrest – What Causes it?
Various factors cause cardiac arrest. However, the two most significant factors are:
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Atrial Fibrillation
Sometimes the upper ventricles or atria of the human heart might experience arrhythmia. Atrial fibrillation occurs when the sinoatrial or SA doesn’t give out the correct electrical impulses. And that is when the heart becomes deficient in pumping out the requisite amount of blood.
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Ventricular Fibrillation
Out of the four chambers of the human heart, the two lower chambers are known as ventricles. When a person experiences ventricular fibrillation, the ventricles unexpectedly lose control, dramatically changing the heart’s rhythmic pattern.
As a result, the blood begins to pump out inefficiently from the ventricles. It significantly decreases the amount of blood circulated across the body. Sometimes, the ventricles might stop functioning and terminate blood circulation entirely.
It leads to cardiac arrest and sometimes may even cause death.
Cardiac Arrest – Who is at Risk?
Listed here are certain health and heart conditions which signify risks of cardiac arrest:
- Large heart size
- Coronary heart disease
- Congenital heart disease
- Irregular heart valves
- Persisting issues with an electrical impulse
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Smoking
- Obesity and lipid issues
- High blood pressure
- Male gender
- Hereditary instances of heart disease
- Substance abuse
- Experiences of earlier heart attacks
- Considerably lower rate of potassium and magnesium
- Men aged over 45 years, women aged over 55 years
People should be cautious about their lifestyles and not ignore their health conditions.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Cardiac Arrest?
Patients can experience both early and immediate symptoms of cardiac arrest. Getting the correct cardiac arrest treatment on time may save your life.
Here is a comprehensive listing of the signs of a cardiac arrest:
- Experience severe shortness of breath
- Experience considerable dizziness
- Feel nauseous and vomit frequently
- Feel extremely tired, weak, and fatigued
- Undergo rapid heart palpitations
Some of the immediate signs of cardiac arrest are:
- Irregular pulse rate
- Throbbing chest pain
- Experiencing sudden collapses
- Complete termination of breath or difficulty in breathing
- Loss of consciousness
There are no significant symptoms before experiencing cardiac arrest, as it occurs without any warning. So, one should provide patients showing the signs mentioned above of cardiac arrest with instant emergency care.
How to Treat Cardiac Arrest?
Emergency cardiac arrest is usually treated by Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR. Healthcare practitioners sometimes make use of defibrillation as well. It helps the heart to start functioning normally again.
Patients surviving cardiac arrest might need to get specific treatment and medical care. It is to reduce the risk of another arrest in the aftermath of the previous one. Some treatment procedures include:
- Surgery for repairing the damaged valves and blood vessels and removing blockages through a bypass.
- Medication for lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
- Make changes to the diet to significantly reduce the cholesterol level.
- Performing regular exercise for improving cardiovascular fitness.
To Conclude
Experiencing sudden cardiac arrest might be fatal. Immediate medical intervention is required to prevent death. Getting prompt treatment within a few minutes of cardiac arrest will increase the chances of survival.
For obtaining good cardiac care and the best treatment, patients can consult with doctors of Max Healthcare.
