6 Warning Signs You May Be About to Go into Cardiac Arrest
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Cardiac arrest is often thought of as coming on suddenly, but research suggests that there are often warning signs. Make sure you know the symptoms and risk factors that too many people ignore.
Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack
A heart attack is a “circulation” problem, and cardiac arrest is an “electrical” problem. A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart is obstructed—by a blocked artery, for example. Cardiac arrest is a problem with the circuitry of the heart: The subtle, intricate rhythms of your heartbeat are thrown off and the heart ceases to pump efficiently—or at all—according to the American Heart Association (AHA). In a cardiac arrest, the person gasps for breath or stops breathing and will die within minutes if not treated. A heart attack can trigger cardiac arrest, or the condition can occur on its own. The AHA notes, “Most heart attacks do not lead to sudden cardiac arrest. But when sudden cardiac arrest occurs, heart attack is a common cause.”
Until recently, experts thought that cardiac arrest always came on without warning, but some research suggests otherwise: More than half of people experience signs in the month prior to going into cardiac arrest but don’t realize that they’re signs—and therefore ignore them—according to a 2016 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Around 350,000 people in the United States experience sudden cardiac arrest each year, according to the AHA, and nearly 90 percent of them die. The research suggests that some of these deaths could be prevented if people who experience warning signs—which are often similar to those of a heart attack—acknowledged them and sought help: Nearly a third (32 percent) of the people in the study who called 911 before they had a cardiac arrest survived, compared with 6 percent who didn’t call.
“Err on the side of caution,” says J. Brent Muhlestein, MD, codirector of cardiovascular research at the Intermountain Medicinal Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah. “If you experience symptoms, get help before cardiac arrest happens.” Read more about heart attack vs. cardiac arrest.
Chest pain
This is the classic warning sign—discomfort or tightness, like an elephant stepping on your chest. The chest pain (also called angina) sets in when you don’t have enough oxygen circulating through your blood and reaching the heart muscle. “The pain can radiate to your left arm, and it gets worse if you try to exercise,” says Dr. Muhlestein. It lasts more than a few minutes or eases up and returns hours later or even the next day, according to the AHA. Be sure to note the 9 things to know about a heart attack before you have one.
Radiating pain
You may experience pain in less predictable areas of the body as well, says Dr. Muhlestein. These include the stomach, shoulder, back, neck, throat, teeth, and jaw. Women are more likely than men to experience these symptoms, according to the AHA.
Shortness of breath
“If you typically can climb stairs just fine but now feel short of breath after only three or four steps, that’s a warning sign,” says Dr. Muhlestein. Research has shown that people who experience symptoms have a greater risk of dying from heart disease than patients without symptoms—and even higher than patients with chest pain.
Excessive sweating
Perspiring more than you usually do, especially if you’re not exerting yourself, can indicate heart trouble. It’s more difficult for the heart to pump blood through arteries that are clogged, and the body responds to the effort by perspiring, says Dr. Muhlestein. Midlife women may assume they’re having hot flashes during menopause, but it’s smart to get this checked if it happens to you.
Flulike symptoms
Fatigue, nausea, vomiting, weakness, stomach pain, lightheadedness, and dizziness are also signs of cardiac problems, especially among women. In one study of 500 women who survived heart trouble, 71 percent experienced extreme fatigue in the month before and during the attack, according to the Harvard Health Letter. And although heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, many still view heart problems as a men’s disease and ignore the signs, especially if chest pain is not one of them.
A sense of impending doom
People who are experiencing symptoms of cardiac arrest often go into denial, says Dr. Muhlestein. “The classic situation is that someone starts to have chest discomfort and insists ‘it’s nothing’ or ‘it’s gas.’ At the same time, he’s terrified that something bad is happening,” Dr. Muhlestein says. “If you experience this, get it checked out. Don’t wait for it to become the real thing.”
When to worry
It can be difficult to tell the difference between a relatively minor problem (like heartburn) and a serious warning (chest pain). “Heartburn triggers pain in the esophagus that can feel exactly like a heart attack,” says Dr. Muhlestein. “The same pain nerve goes to the heart and the esophagus, and the brain can’t distinguish between the two.” If you experience chest pain or any other symptom, don’t take chances, he says; “go to the ER.” Find out exactly what to do if you think you’re having a heart attack—and why driving yourself to the hospital is a bad idea.
Story Credit: https://www.rd.com/health/warning-signs-of-cardiac-arrest/
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