What 39;s Worse Than A Heart Attack
Kristin Dampeer
Issues that can trigger cardiac arrest include abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), electrical disturbances in the heart, electrolyte imbalances, diseases or conditions that weaken the heart muscle, or structural issues in the heart, such as congenital defects. In addition, certain medications, extreme physical exertion, trauma or exposure to extreme temperatures can all increase the risk for cardiac arrest.
A heart attack occurs when there is a blockage in one of the arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle, often due to coronary artery disease. This interrupts the natural flow of oxygen-rich blood, resulting in chest pain and other symptoms like fatigue, difficulty breathing and nausea. Treating a heart attack involves restoring normal blood flow to the affected area using medication or surgery.
Causes that can trigger a heart attack, but not a cardiac arrest, include a blocked artery due to plaque buildup or a blood clot in the coronary arteries, inflammation or infection in the heart muscle, or tearing of the lining of an artery. In addition, congenital heart defects, certain medications, over-exertion, excessive alcohol consumption and other lifestyle factors can increase the risk of a heart attack.
Three signs of cardiac arrest that are not signs of a heart attack include sudden loss of consciousness, lack of pulse and no breathing. Other symptoms, such as dizziness or chest pain, may also indicate cardiac arrest, but they may also be associated with other conditions, like a heart attack. Therefore, it is important to observe the entire range of symptoms before making any conclusions.
Three signs of a heart attack that are not present in cardiac arrest include radiating pain, feeling faint and jaw or neck discomfort. Other symptoms such as shortness of breath and sweating may also be associated with a heart attack, but not necessarily with cardiac arrest. Therefore, it is important to look out for the full range of symptoms before making any conclusions. Other symptoms of a heart attack could include unusual or unexplained tiredness and nausea or vomiting. Women are more likely than men to have these other symptoms when experiencing a heart attack.
In the event of a heart attack, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Call 911 and stay calm until help arrives. Do not attempt to drive yourself or wait for the symptoms to subside. Stay on the phone with the dispatcher and provide detailed information about your symptoms. If possible, take an aspirin and chew it, as this can help reduce blood clots and improve circulation. Additionally, if you have access to an AED, follow instructions given by paramedics or other trained personnel while they are enroute to begin treatment when appropriate.
When a person suffers from cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR. For adults, check for responsiveness, then call for help. If two people are available to help, one should begin CPR immediately while the other calls 911 and finds an AED if available and use it as soon as possible. Continue high-quality CPR until professional emergency medical services arrive.
TAKE10 Cincinnati, powered by UC Health, is a free, 10-minute training designed to educate the community about compression-only CPR, an easy-to-learn technique that can save lives. TAKE10 is compression-only, so there is no mouth-to-mouth.
Heart failure, on the other hand, usually develops gradually. The heart muscle becomes weaker and has trouble pumping blood to nourish the cells in your body. This is a chronic condition that gradually gets worse. But medications can help you live longer and better with it.
Heart attacks can lead to heart failure by weakening the heart's pumping ability. Sometimes, heart failure comes on suddenly after a heart attack. Usually the symptoms are severe at first. This is called acute heart failure. But you can get better quickly with treatment and medication.
Coronary artery disease is at the root of both heart attack and heart failure. This happens when a build-up over time of plaque from fat and other substances makes your arteries grow narrower or harder.
Heart attacks need to be treated right away. Call 911 even if you only suspect you're having one. Paramedics will probably give you blood-thinning aspirin to prevent any more clots and nitroglycerin to help blood flow.
You may need a procedure to open the blocked artery. With percutaneous coronary intervention, a surgeon threads a tube into the blocked artery. Then they expand a tiny balloon attached to the end of the tube to open the artery. At the same time, they may put a tiny mesh tube called a stent in to keep the artery propped open.
Doctors prescribe many of the same drugs used for heart attacks for heart failure. This includes drugs to lower blood pressure or to slow your heart rate. Often, you'll take diuretic pills to get rid of extra water. That will ease swelling and shortness of breath.
As heart failure gets worse, you may need surgery to get a device that will help your heart. For instance, a pacemaker implanted in your heart can keep your heart pumping in rhythm. An implanted defibrillator can steady heartbeats. For very advanced heart failure, you may need a pump to keep your heart working.
You might be tempted to turn to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes, vape pens, and other nondisposable and disposable vaping devices) as a way to ease the transition from traditional cigarettes to not smoking at all. But is smoking e-cigarettes (also called vaping) better for you than using tobacco products? Can e-cigarettes help you to stop smoking once and for all? Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., director of clinical research at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, shares health information about vaping.
However, there has been an outbreak of lung injuries and deaths associated with vaping. In February 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 2,807 cases of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) and 68 deaths attributed to that condition.
The CDC has identified vitamin E acetate as a chemical of concern among people with EVALI. Vitamin E acetate is a thickening agent often used in THC vaping products, and it was found in all lung fluid samples of EVALI patients examined by the CDC.
Research from The Johns Hopkins University on vape ingredients published in October 2021 reveals thousands of chemical ingredients in vape products, most of which are not yet identified. Among those the team could identify were several potentially harmful substances, including caffeine, three chemicals never previously found in e-cigarettes, a pesticide and two flavorings linked with possible toxic effects and respiratory irritation.
Nicotine is the primary agent in regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and it is highly addictive. It causes you to crave a smoke and suffer withdrawal symptoms if you ignore the craving. Nicotine is a toxic substance. It raises your blood pressure and spikes your adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and the likelihood of having a heart attack.
In light of the EVALI outbreak, the CDC advises people who use e-cigarettes for smoking cessation to weigh the risks and benefits and first consider use of other FDA-approved smoking cessation options.
Among youth, e-cigarettes, especially the disposable kind, are more popular than any traditional tobacco product. According to the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey, more than 2 million U.S. middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2021, with more than 8 in 10 of those youth using flavored e-cigarettes.
According to Blaha, there are three reasons e-cigarettes may be particularly enticing to young people. First, many teens believe vaping is less harmful than smoking. Second, e-cigarettes have a lower per-use cost than traditional cigarettes. Finally, youths and adults find the lack of smoke appealing. With no smell, e-cigarettes reduce some of the stigma of smoking.
One of the best things you can do to protect and improve your health is to stay informed. Your Health is a FREE e-newsletter that serves as your smart, simple connection to the world-class expertise of Johns Hopkins.
A heart attack occurs when sudden damage and/or death occurs to a portion of the heart muscle. The damage to the heart muscle usually is caused by a blocked coronary artery, which then prevents oxygen from getting to the muscle tissue of the heart. Heart attack is the most common cause of death in the US
Arrhythmias (an abnormal heartbeat) also can cause a heart attack. Examples of life-threatening arrhythmias include ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac arrest, in which the person will die within a few minutes.
A stroke occurs when brain tissue becomes deprived of oxygen, leading to damage or death of the brain tissue in the region affected by the stroke. The most frequent cause of a stroke is a clot that blocks a blood vessel in the brain (ischemic stroke).
A transient ischemic attack (TIA, mini-stroke) occurs when there is a temporary blockage of a blood vessel in the brain, producing symptoms similar to a stroke. However, during a transient ischemic attack, the stroke symptoms resolve completely within a short period after the clot blocking the vessel breaks apart and thus does not produce any permanent damage or lasting effects. Transient ischemic attacks often are a warning sign of an imminent full-blown stroke, and thus require immediate medical treatment.
You do not want to have a heart attack or stroke because both can lead to disability or death. In terms of mortality statistics, heart attacks are more common since they are the leading cause of death in the US, while strokes are the fifth leading cause of death.
However, individuals may have more difficulty afterward if they survive a stroke than if they survive a heart attack, though this will depend on how much brain tissue is damaged after the stroke. For example, a stroke can cause profound life-altering disabilities, such as losing the ability to communicate verbally or using certain parts of your body (for example, your right arm and right leg). If you fear permanent disability worse than death, you may think that a stroke is worse than a heart attack.
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