Legendary actor Sridevi passed away on Saturday night in Dubai. Reportedly, she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Her demise came as a surprise to everyone as she had presumably been living a healthy life.
Her death has caused panic among people as it is difficult to believe how a healthy person can also suffer a cardiac arrest.
It is important that you know that even if a person does not have any history of a heart condition, he or she still could still get a cardiac arrest due to blockage in their arteries.
Most of us think that a heart attack and cardiac arrest are same. But they are two very different things. While in a heart attack the heart only partially loses the ability to pump blood, a cardiac arrest completely disrupts the heart’s ability to pump blood. Cardiac arrest strikes immediately without warning and it is more dangerous than a heart attack.
Also, a person suffering from a heart attack can go on for minutes to few hours in that condition, and yet survive. If someone has suddenly collapsed, is not breathing normally, it is a case of cardiac arrest, and within seconds, he/she might die.
Heart attack gives you around an hour to take the patient to a hospital. But someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest doesn’t have that much time.
Since the two conditions are different, it is imperative to know the symptoms of a cardiac arrest.
- No pulse
- Sudden collapse
- Lack of breathing
- Loss of consciousness
If you witness someone having a cardiac arrest, there is no time to lose. You should take immediate action as the patient, in this case, just has a few ‘golden’ seconds. Call the ambulance as soon as possible.
Till the ambulance arrives, patient should be given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It is a life-saving technique and involves hard pressing on the chest with hands, with the speed of 120 compressions per minute.
You can also prevent the occurrence of a cardiac arrest by following some simple tips.
- Get yourselves screened for heart diseases, especially if you have a family history.
- Lead a healthy lifestyle such as, eating a nutritious and balanced diet.
- Stay physically active by exercising daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Avoid smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol.
Stress is also a major contributing factor. So take a deep breath, relax, take time off, lead a healthy life.