Heart Attack or Cardiac Arrest? Key Symptoms & What to Do

A heart attack occurs when a coronary artery, which supplies blood to your heart, becomes blocked. A person having a heart attack is usually conscious and may be complaining of chest discomfort or pain or other symptoms. A cardiac arrest occurs when your heart stops beating due to an electrical malfunction. A person in cardiac arrest will be unconscious (not able to respond) and will not be breathing

Know the Warning Signs

Three Signs Specific to Cardiac Arrest

1. Sudden loss of consciousness
2. Lack of pulse
3. No breathing
4. 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. Sometimes other signs and symptoms occur before or with sudden cardiac arrest. These might include: sudden collapse, shortness of breath, weakness and heart palpitations—which is a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart.

Three Signs Specific to a Heart Attack

The most common sign of a heart attack is chest discomfort or pain, which can spread to your arms, neck, jaw or back. Chest discomfort or pain can last for several minutes or come and go.

Three signs of a heart attack that are not present in cardiac arrest include

1. Radiating pain
2. Feeling faint
3. Jaw or neck discomfort
4. Other symptoms such as shortness of breath and sweating may also be associated with a heart attack, but not necessarily with cardiac arrest. 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.
   Symptoms of a heart attack may be immediate and intense or might start slowly with mild symptoms. It is important to note that it is possible to have mild symptoms, or even no symptoms at all, and still have a heart attack. Unlike with sudden cardiac arrest, the heart usually doesn’t stop beating during a heart attack.

What to do

While a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest are both serious medical emergencies, they are distinct conditions that require different action.

In cardiac arrest, the event will be sudden—the person’s heart will stop and you will not be able to detect a pulse. They will also become faint unconscious and stop breathing. 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 emergency services Hands-only CPR / chest compressions can significantly improve chance of survival in cardiac arrest cases. Use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) gives someone in cardiac arrest the best chance of survival while they wait for medical professionals to arrive on the scene.

In a heart attack, the person might experience radiating pain, shortness of breath, feel faint or become sweaty.

Most heart attacks are caused by a blockage in blood flow to the heart rather than a problem with the heart itself. If you or someone around you is having a heart attack, call emergency services immediately and follow their instructions.