What is the difference between a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest?
Because sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) contains the words "cardiac arrest," people automatically assume that it is the same as a heart attack. While the two conditions are similar in many ways, they are very different in others. The circulatory system inside of your body that moves blood to and from the heart is often compared to the plumbing in a house. When the "pipes" are clear, blood moves freely from the heart to the organs, muscles, and tissues where it is needed. When the arteries become blocked with excessive amounts of plaque, blood does not move as efficiently. Eventually, the reduced blood supply to the heart causes parts of the heart muscle to die. Someone who is having a heart attack might complain of chest pain, numbness down one arm, shortness of breath, nausea, or dizziness.
On the other hand, when sudden cardiac arrest happens, the heart stops pumping blood through the body and instead begins to beat in an unorganized way. This "quivering," known as fibrillation, causes the person experiencing it to pass out or collapse and begin gasping. As the brain stops receiving blood from the heart, the person may even experience a seizure that lasts for 10 to 30 seconds. While a heart attack can certainly lead to SCA, it is possible to have a heart attack without it.
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