‘Heart attack’ is a term that we’re well familiar with. So much so, that we hear virtually any problem with the heart being dubbed a ‘heart attack’.
Just occasionally, we also hear of ‘cardiac arrest’, mostly from medical professionals, or in post-mortem reports when reading about the death of a public figure in the newspaper, and we mostly assume that it’s merely a more formal phrase for ‘heart attack’. We hear ‘heart failure’ even more infrequently.
But do you know that these are not the same, and that heart attack, cardiac arrest and heart failure are distinct events, having different causes and effects!
Surprised? Sit back and read on, as we replace your confusion with sparkling clarity.
What is a heart attack, a cardiac arrest, and heart failure?
A heart attack is damage to a part of the heart muscles due to inadequate blood flow resulting from a blockage.
A cardiac arrest is the sudden loss of heart function, accompanied by loss of breathing and consciousness, due to a problem with the electrical signals that keep the heart beating.
A heart failure is a set of syndromes resulting in reduced ability of the heart to pump blood.
So if the heart were a household appliance, you’d call a heart attack a plumbing issue, a cardiac arrest an electrical one, and a heart failure a case of mechanical wear.
Why do they happen?
A heart attack is caused by the plaque (cholesterol) leading to the rupture of a blood vessel which supplies blood (oxygen) to the heart muscles. Following the rupture, the plaque creates a blood clot over it and prevents blood flow to the heart muscles.. This is called coronary artery disease by your doctor.
Think of it as a blockage in your water pipe. Impurities in the water collect over years, and one day, the dirt piles up to form a block that is big enough to get wedged in the pipe, preventing the flow of water altogether.
A cardiac arrest is caused by abnormal heart rhythms, understandably dubbed ‘arrhythmia’. The causes for arrhythmia include narrowed arteries, a previous heart attack or surgery, heart failure and other forms of heart damage.
Think of this as an old spark plug in your petrol-engined car. Out of sync with the engine’s cycle, it misfires, causing loss of ignition in the cylinders, and therefore loss of power in the engine. Only, the fix isn’t as simple as replacing a spark plug!
Heart failure occurs gradually, as a result of high blood pressure, a previous heart attack or other heart diseases, and excessive alcohol use among others.
Think of this as the tyres of your car – as they become old, their sidewalls weaken, and their ability to hold air diminishes.
Can one cause another?
A heart attack can cause a cardiac arrest.
A heart attack can also cause heart failure.
A cardiac arrest is not necessarily due to a heart attack.
A cardiac arrest can cause heart failure.
Heart failure can occur without a heart attack.
Heart failure can cause cardiac arrest.
Now that (we hope) these three ailments are a lot clearer in your mind, we urge you to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle and stay away from all of them.
We also hope you’ll never need our services, but if you’re ever prescribed a holter test to monitor your heart rhythms, just know that we’re the best there is. Just click below to book a test or learn more.
