Types of Cardiovascular Emergencies You Should Know About

Emergencies do not come with warnings. They can happen anytime, anywhere, to anybody. Cardiovascular or heart related emergencies are common and often account for several deaths in a year due to lack of awareness.

To understand which heart-related conditions qualify as emergencies and which ones can cause an emergency eventually, read on:

1. Heart attack

A heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction in medical terms, results from the narrowing of the coronary artery. The coronary arteries are responsible for supplying the heart with oxygenated blood. In the occurrence of a blockage, the ability of these arteries to supply blood to the heart gets reduced. If at some point the blood supply is completely cut off, a part of the heart muscle goes into shock, thus causing a heart attack.

Symptoms of Heart Attack

A heart attack may or may not show prominent symptoms, and even if it does, the symptoms may differ from person to person. Nonetheless a few classic indications to watch out for would be:

• Massive chest pain
• Cold sweat
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness or fainting

Sometimes, the chest pain may radiate to other areas such as arms, shoulders, back and jaw. It may even only manifest as jaw ache or arm pain sometimes.  And, in certain cases for example in the elderly, and in people with diabetes, the symptoms may not even be that pronounced. So as a standard principle, call an emergency helpline if there are breathlessness and chest pain.

2. Cardiac arrest

Unlike a heart attack which is caused by blockages in the circulation system, a cardiac arrest results from a sudden malfunction of the heart. A glitch in the electrical receptors of the body may cause the heart to have irregular beats. Due to this, the heart is rendered incapable of pumping blood effectively thus causing the cardiac arrest.

Symptoms of Cardiac Arrest

• Breathlessness
• Loss of consciousness within seconds
• Absence of pulse

A heart attack may sometimes lead to a cardiac arrest. If the person is not treated immediately, cardiac arrest may lead to death.

3. Chest Pain

Chest pain is a symptom and is not always due to heart attack or cardiac arrest. Chest pain can be caused by several factors – coronary heart disease, oesophageal spasms, aortic aneurysms, anxiety and the likes. In itself, a chest pain is not really an emergency but can indicate serious problems related to the heart which may lead to an emergency if ignored.

4. Heart failure

Heart failure is a chronic condition characterised by the heart’s inability to pump blood efficiently. In this condition, the heart walls may become thinner or thicker to keep the blood flowing, but as this increases pressure in the heart eventually it might result in fluid retention in the lower parts of the body like the legs. Heart failure can be caused by a heart attack, coronary artery diseases, valve diseases as well as drug and alcohol abuse.

Symptoms of Heart Failure:

• Shortness of breath
• Inability to exercise
• Fatigue
• Fluid retention in extremities

How to handle heart-related emergencies?

Whenever you, or anyone you know experiences discomfort in the heart, it is advisable that you go see a doctor rather than waiting for an emergency to arise. In an event of emergency however, it is of primary importance that action is taken quickly. A heart attack must be treated within two hours of the onset, or the patient’s chances of survival may be dramatically reduced. In the occurrence of a cardiac arrest, a person may lose his or her life within minutes if action is not taken fast enough.

As a rule of thumb, whenever there is a situation involving pain in the chest or upper body:

• Call a doctor.
• If chest pain is accompanied by dizziness, vomiting, or breathlessness, call an emergency helpline.
• If there is no pulse, begin hands-only CPR and continue until help arrives.

Author’s Bio:

DR. AVIRAJ CHAUDHARY

MD, DM CARDIOLOGY