Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack: How They Differ

If you or a loved one has heart problems, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the workings of the heart and the correct terms to use when a cardiac event is taking place. The terms “cardiac arrest” and “heart attack” refer to two different types of acute events.

At West Houston Heart Center, located in Houston, Texas, cardiologist Dr. Humayun Naqvi provides a comprehensive range of heart health and interventional cardiac services. Here’s what you need to know about the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest.

Heart attack

Heart attacks are a circulation issue. The circulatory system carries oxygenated blood from your lungs to the heart for delivery to the body, and then sends the low-oxygen blood back to the lungs again for reoxygenation. If an artery leading to the heart is blocked, oxygen can’t reach your heart, and heart tissue starts to die. 

Heart attack symptoms

Some people don’t realize they’re having a heart attack until they fall unconscious. Others may have one or more heart attack symptoms, including:

• Excessive tiredness for days or even weeks leading up to the attack
• Shortness of breath
• Pressure in the chest
• Pain radiating out from the chest
• Bluish lips and hands
• Heavy sweating

These symptoms should prompt you to have your heart checked for narrowing arteries, as they could signal a pending heart attack. Half of the deaths from heart attack occur within three or four hours after the attack, so seeking medical attention immediately is crucial to survival.

Cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest is an electrical issue. During sudden cardiac arrest, an electrical malfunction in the heart results in arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. This means blood isn’t being pushed smoothly through the heart and distributed to the rest of the body in a timely manner.

When the heart stops pumping blood properly to the brain, lungs, and other vital organs, you’ll lose your pulse, and brain death can happen very quickly if you don’t get treatment. CPR can save your life if administered swiftly, giving an ambulance time to arrive.

Cardiac arrest symptoms

Cardiac arrest doesn’t cause symptoms leading up to the event. People with heart disease may have heart disease symptoms similar to the warning signs of a heart attack, but cardiac arrest is sudden and only has a few potential symptoms that can happen in rapid succession:

• Shortness of breath
• Sudden vomiting
• Racing heartbeat and chest pain
• Dizziness
• Loss of consciousness

You’ll have a 90% chance of survival if treatment like CPR and defibrillation to restart your heart begins within a minute of the arrest. The survival rate goes down 10% for each additional minute without treatment.

If you have a heart attack, it can increase your risk for cardiac arrest. If you have a family history of heart disease, heart attack, or cardiac arrest, make sure to tell us so we can perform the right tests to check for potentially fatal issues.

To contact us, call West Houston Heart Center at 832-400-3957, or request an appointment using our online scheduling tool.