Cardiac Arrest: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Signs

When to see a doctor for Cardiac Arrest?

Cardiac arrest is life-threatening. Get immediate medical attention if you experience chest aches, heart palpitations, wheeziness, breathing difficulties, fainting, or dizziness. If you come across someone who is unresponsive or not breathing, call for help and start CPR or use an automated external defibrillator if available.

 Cardiac Arrest Risk Factors

One of the major risk factors for cardiac arrest is having a heart condition. With age, your chance of having a cardiac attack also rises. Men make up the bulk of cardiac arrest victims while women are more vulnerable after menopause.

Some illnesses that increase the risk of cardiac arrest run in families. If you have any blood relatives who have suffered from cardiac arrest, irregular cardiac conduction, or arrhythmias, you should let your doctor or cardiologist know. Moreover, conditions associated with severe arrhythmias can be caused by particular genes.

 Cardiac Arrest Complications

Less blood reaches the brain during abrupt cardiac arrest. Brain injury and death could result from complications if the cardiac rhythm isn't quickly restored.

Cardiac Arrest Diagnosis

The signs of cardiac arrest appear rapidly, giving little time for testing. Within minutes, the condition might become lethal. A prompt diagnosis is therefore crucial.

The best way to identify cardiac arrest is frequently by a person's symptoms, particularly if they are unconscious or have no pulse.

Cardiac Arrest Treatment

Restarting your heart and reestablishing a regular rhythm is part of emergency cardiac arrest treatment. Treatment options for cardiac arrest include the following:

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): One of the most crucial interventions to increase cardiac arrest survival is immediate CPR. Until an automatic or external defibrillator is available, CPR is frequently used. Chest compressions during CPR take the role of the heart's pumping function. Small amounts of blood are transferred from your heart to your brain through it.
• External defibrillator or an automatic defibrillator: Once attached, this device shocks your chest for a limited period of time with electricity. Your heart is reached by the current. As a result, the aberrant impulses are stopped and the heart's normal impulses are reinstated. Your heart may need more than one jolt to start beating normally again.