Is it just a ‘twinge’ or is it a heart attack? How to tell the difference

Many people get confused between the medical terms used to describe certain heart conditions — but as we will see, knowing how to tell the difference between angina, a heart attack and a cardiac arrest could be vital in a first aid emergency. all require a different course of action — but in the case of a cardiac arrest every minute counts. This is because a person’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest reduce by 10per cent with every minute that passes.

ANGINA, HEART ATTACK OR CARDIAC ARREST?

PeoPle often use the term heart attack interchangeably with cardiac arrest — but they are not the same and the treatment for each is different.

In a heart attack, the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a clot.

Meanwhile, a cardiac arrest is where the heart stops pumping blood around the body and the person is unresponsive, not breathing normally and showing no signs of life.

angina is a type of chest pain someone gets when the arteries carrying blood to their heart muscle become narrowed.

This can restrict blood supply and cause chest pain. angina attacks are usually caused by physical exertion, stress or excitement. But if someone has unstable angina, their painful attacks can have no obvious cause.

angina alone is not life-threatening, but it puts one at far greater risk of a life-threatening heart attack or stroke.

once diagnosed, it can be managed with medication to treat any future attacks, prevent further episodes and reduce the risk of developing heart attacks and strokes.