Cardiac arrest how does it feel

Unlike a heart attack, cardiac arrest often occurs suddenly, without any warning. Though the two issues are different, people who have had one or more heart attacks have a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest. It is vital to act quickly. AEDs administer a controlled electric shock to people with dangerous heart arrhythmias.

They do not release this shock unless there is an abnormal heart rhythm. As a result, they are suitable for anyone to use, with or without training. AEDs are widely available in public spaces. Using one as soon as possible increases the chances of survival. If there are no AEDs nearby, continuously performing CPR keeps blood and oxygen flowing to the organs and brain until a medical professional can use a defibrillator to restart the heart.

After receiving emergency treatment, a person who has experienced cardiac arrest needs hospital treatment. At the hospital, doctors closely monitor any symptoms and may use medications to lower the risk of another cardiac arrest. They then perform tests to determine the cause of the arrest. The test results help the doctors develop a long-term treatment plan. For example, a person with heart disease may require surgery to restore blood flow to the heart.

The doctors may also recommend an implantable cardioverter defibrillator ICD. ICDs are small devices that deliver electrical shocks to the heart to control arrhythmias. This keeps the heart pumping at a normal rate. A specialized cardiologist places this device beneath the skin of the chest or abdomen. Doctors may recommend that the person adopts a diet and lifestyle that supports heart health.

They may also recommend cardiac rehabilitation — a short program that provides information and support. People can survive sudden cardiac arrest. The chances of survival usually depend on how quickly and effectively they receive CPR or defibrillation. Other factors, such as age and general health, also influence the likelihood of surviving cardiac arrest.

Most cardiac arrests result from ventricular fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia. Chest pain is most commonly reported by men, while women commonly report shortness of breath. You may also experience unexplained fainting or dizziness, fatigue or a racing heart. Many patients report flu-like symptoms, which can complicate the reporting and prevention process. Subzposh, which might be the reason only one in five patients who notice the symptoms choose to report them.

Who is at risk of sudden cardiac arrest? The risk factors most commonly associated with heart disease are also indicators for sudden cardiac arrest, also referred to as SCA. The quality of care was superb and all the more remarkable for being provided in the midst of a pandemic.

I even got to request the music the surgeons played over the speakers in the operating theatre as they cut me open under local anaesthetic to insert the ICD. David Bowie is even better on morphine.

I later did some research. The doctor was right: I am extremely fortunate. According to the British Heart Foundation, only one in 10 people in the UK survive a cardiac arrest outside a hospital. Worldwide, the odds are closer to one in a My cardiologist told me I would certainly be dead without the defibrillator. Even with it, things can be touch and go. Unlike in TV dramas, the chances of preventing death with a shock are considerably less than In other countries, I could also have been financially ruined.

As it is, under the NHS, I only had to pay my usual monthly national insurance contribution. So my survival is not just luck. It is thanks to a society that still believes in social medicine and invests in cover for everyone.

Doctors tell me the prognosis is good so hopefully that may be some time. Five months on from the cardiac arrest, I am much recovered, walking five miles a day, but still not fully up to speed.

I will probably never be at the level I was. My heart muscle is strong, but its electrical system is out of kilter. Until the cardiologists have identified the cause of the misfire, I will have to exercise at a lower intensity and reduce day-to-day stress. I may need more surgery. I also need to rethink who I am and how I live. The ICD under my collar bone means I am now part-man, part-computer — a step close to the singularity.

And I take beta blockers every day, which sometimes makes my thinking sluggish. I am more appreciative of biotechnology and pharmacology — and more envious of those who do not need to rely on either. It has given me a good excuse, too, to think about the big stuff. Where is the boundary between life and death? Did I briefly cross over? How do I make the most of Life 2.

I have spent a lot of time reflecting on these questions and reviewing my past.