Considered a treacherous killer of men, cardiac arrest impose symptoms that one might think as elusive. However, a study revealed the silent killer might not be that silent after all. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found numerous symptoms revealed themselves weeks before a cardiac arrest starts.
Common heart attacks occur when blood flow to the muscle is blocked off due to clogged arteries. A sudden cardiac arrest happens when your heart stops beating due to defective electrical activity in it. If a person experiencing a cardiac arrest is not treated with a defibrillator, that person could die in just minutes. A horrifying statistic shows only 7% survives the ordeal.
While the most common symptoms in cases where the heart is involved would be the obvious: Chest pains and difficulty in breathing but there were signs that has absolutely nothing to do with your ticker.
The study shows 20 percent who had the symptoms also exhibited mysterious conditions like abdominal pains, nausea and vomiting while some even experienced back pains. 10 percent showed signs of flu-like symptoms and 5 percent mentioned falling to unconsciousness.
When caught up with the symptoms, calling 911 would be the way to go. People who made the call were most likely to survive the impending cardiac arrest than those who didn't. Albeit, only 19% made the call and eventually suffered from cardiac arrest.
But one might be reluctant in seeking aid with just some back and stomach pains alone as symptoms for a possible cardiac arrest so the questions is, when should one seek medical care? According to Dr. Chugh, more research is needed before any concrete recommendations can be made based on the study alone. Suffice to say, if a person already has a known heart condition, then any symptoms deserves quick medical attention.
The chance of having a cardiac arrest rises sharply with age. Family history and underlying conditions also add up to the odds of having one. The next time you feel under the weather, it's still safe to dismiss it as mere flu but be mindful of the symptoms that has been reoccurring and contact a health or medical professional for advice.
