It is a common misconception almost everyone has that heart attack and cardiac arrest are the same.

Well, the truth is that they are not and it is important for everyone to know.

There is a wide difference in both and it is important to know how to deal with such situations so that you are capable enough to help a loved one if such a situation ever happens around you.

Heart attack

The heart is just a muscle similar to other muscles in the other parts of your body. The major job of this muscle is to pump blood to the entire body for which it uses arteries which act as the pipelines.

A heart attack happens when these arteries get blocked due to a clot or anything. The oxygen-rich blood is then not able to reach the heart and then the other parts of the body. This is when the parts of the heart start dying and it needs immediate action.

What is to be done – Immediately call for an ambulance because you are not a medical expert to deal with the situation. The staff in the ambulance will generally have medications to ease down the situation.

Cardiac arrest

So, in a heart attack, it is the blood flow that gets interrupted but the same is not the case with cardiac arrest. A cardiac arrest is a situation when your heart suddenly stops beating. Both cases are different.

What is to be done – Yes, the heart has stopped beating but you still have a chance to reverse the situation. Start giving the person CPR, this will buy you some time to reach the hospital. It is important to use CPR right away because a person needs its heart to keep pumping.

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