Heart stroke vs heart attack

“They are two completely different problems,” Shephal Doshi, M.D., director of cardiac electrophysiology and pacing at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., tells SELF. “A heart attack is essentially a plumbing problem, while a cardiac arrest is an electrical short circuit.” The symptoms and treatment of a heart attack and cardiac arrest are different, too. People who are suffering from a heart attack will typically have symptoms like chest pain or tightness that happens when they’re resting or exerting themselves, Dr. Doshi says. Women, however, might have shortness of breath, pain radiating down their arm, or With cardiac arrest, people often just pass out. “They may feel dizzy or light-headed and suddenly black out,” Dr. Doshi says. Immediate treatment with a cardiac arrest is CPR and a shock with defibrillator to jump-start a person’s heart, Dr. Doshi says. That may be followed up with a breathing tube and other medicines or machines to support the heart, Dr. Haythe says. While strokes also deal with blood flow, they’re not based in the heart. There are two major types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic is where a blood clot cuts off the supply of blood to an area of the brain. “This is a lot like getting a plug in your sink—nothing gets to the other side of the plug,” neurologist Amit Sachdev, M.D., an assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine at Michigan State University, tells SELF. And, when a pa...

Imagine that you’re out to dinner with a few friends. Suddenly, a few tables over, a person clutches their chest and falls from their chair, collapsing to the ground. A few people rush to their aid while another calls for an ambulance. When people retell the story, many people will say the person suffered a heart attack. A few might say they suffered cardiac arrest. The terms “heart attack” and “cardiac arrest” are often used interchangeably. In reality, they are distinct, typically with different causes and requiring different responses in the moment to get the person the help they need. Here are a few key points about the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest, along with how to recognize each and what to do if you or someone close to you suffers one. Heart Attacks and Cardiac Arrest are Different A Cardiac arrest describes a condition when the heart stops pumping blood and oxygen to the brain and other organs and tissues. It can be caused by anything that makes the heart stop beating, including some severe heart attacks. A heart attack can cause cardiac arrest, but not all cardiac arrests are caused by heart attacks. Most Heart Attacks are not Associated with Cardiac Arrest While heart attacks can cause cardiac arrest, most do not. The blockage that causes a heart attack can be sudden, but the narrowing of arteries in the heart leading to the blockage typically occurs over a more extended period of time. High blood pressure, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle a...

Both heart attacks and strokes occur suddenly and require immediate medical attention. But when the symptoms of a heart attack or stroke abruptly appear, will you know how to tell the difference between the two? Both result from a lack of blood flow to critical body parts: a stroke is caused by a blockage in blood flow to the brain, while a heart attack is caused by a blockage in blood flow to the heart. T he first aid treatments for each emergency differ. Taking immediate action can mean the difference between survival and recovery, or severe damage (and even death) for a patient. If you suspect someone is having a heart attack or stroke, call 911 to receive emergency medical help immediately. Understanding the symptoms of each can help you know what to do until help arrives. What is a Stroke? A stroke occurs when blood flow is impeded from reaching the brain. This disruption of blood flow is typically caused by either a blockage or a ruptured blood vessel in the brain — both instances prevent oxygen from feeding the brain tissue. If this happens, the oxygen-starved brain cells begin to die rapidly, so immediate treatment is vital to a patient’s chances of recovery. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a stroke is the fifth most common cause of death in the U.S., killing about 140,000 Americans each year. One out of every 20 deaths is caused by stroke. That’s only a portion of the total number of stroke cases: 795,000 Americans have a stroke e...

If you've had a There are many types and combinations of drugs used to treat The following gives you a quick look at many typical cardiac medications. Your prescription may have a different name from the ones listed on this chart. Brand names commonly available in the U.S. are shown in parentheses after the generic name for each drug. *Some of the major types of commonly prescribed cardiovascular medications are summarized in this section. For your information and reference, we have included generic names as well as major trade names to help you identify what you may be taking. However, the AHA is not recommending or endorsing any specific products. If your prescription medication isn't on this list, remember that your healthcare provider and pharmacist are your best sources of information. It's important to discuss all of the drugs you take with your provider and understand their desired effects and possible side effects. Never stop taking a medication and never change your dose or frequency without first consulting the prescribing doctor. • • • • • • • • • • • (Also known as Blood Thinners.) Commonly prescribed include: • Apixaban (Eliquis) • Dabigatran (Pradaxa) • Edoxaban (Savaysa) • Heparin (various) • Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) • What the Medication Does Decreases the clotting (coagulating) ability of the blood. Sometimes called blood thinners, although they do not actually thin the blood. They do NOT dissolve existing blood clots. Used to treat certain blood vessel, hear...

Both stroke and heart attack symptoms occur suddenly. Though the two events have a few possible symptoms in common, their other symptoms differ. A common symptom of a stroke is a sudden and powerful headache. A stroke is sometimes referred to as a “brain attack.” A heart attack, on the other hand, often occurs with Recognizing the different symptoms of a stroke and heart attack can make a big difference in getting the right kind of help. Both strokes and heart attacks can occur due to blocked arteries. Stroke causes The most common type of stroke is an • A blood clot in an artery within the brain can cut off circulation to the brain. This can cause a • The carotid arteries carry blood to the brain. Plaque buildup in a carotid artery can have the same result. The other main kind of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke. This occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and blood leaks into surrounding tissue. High blood pressure that strains the walls of your arteries can cause a Heart attack causes A Blockage in a coronary artery can happen if a blood clot stops blood flow. It can also happen if too much cholesterol plaque builds up in the artery to the point at which circulation slows to a trickle or stops altogether. Many of the risk factors for stroke and heart attack are the same. These include: • smoking • • • age • family history High blood pressure strains the walls of your blood vessels. That makes them more rigid and less likely to expand as needed to maintain health...

Understanding the differences between a stroke and a heart attack can help you get the appropriate help. They are both medical emergencies and can alter a person’s life, yet a stroke and heart attack are not exactly the same. While they may be related, there is a difference between a stroke and a heart attack. Sadly, about every 43 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a heart attack. Approximately 800,000 Americans experience a stroke every year. So, how do we explain what distinguishes a stroke from a heart attack? Well, a heart attack happens when blood flow to part of the heart becomes blocked. Without oxygenated blood, heart muscles start to die. However, in the case of a stroke, the brain is impacted. The brain attack occurs when blood flow and oxygen to the brain is cut off. This can take place if a blood vessel that feeds the brain gets clogged or bursts. Advertisement Both heart attacks and stroke are leading causes of death in the United States and Canada. Quick treatment for both types of attacks is crucial for long-term positive outcome. Stroke vs. heart attack risk factors When we think about heart attack versus a stroke, we know that two different organs are at play, yet the risk factors for both are the same. The list below covers the common risk factors: • Family history • Smoking • Age • • Sedentary lifestyle • High cholesterol • High blood pressure • Poor circulation People who have Heart attack and stroke causes Often, people are so surprised whe...

• A stroke caused by a blood clot is known as an ischemic stroke. • Bleeding in the brain—most likely from an hemorrhagic stroke . • A transient ischemic attackis a narrowing of an artery that feeds blood to the brain. The narrow part of the blood vessel restricts blood so much that stroke symptoms can happen for a short time and then go away. That's why it's calledtransient. Stroke is a puzzling term. Some say it is short for "stroke of God" and refers to the immediate and devastating effects of that blood clot in the brain. Some in the medical community are attempting to do away with the term stroke and replace it with brain attack. This change is difficult to make, and there is already a term with the word attack in it that refers to a type of stroke.