As a result of an electrical disturbance in the heart, such as ventricular fibrillation or asystole, cardiac arrest is a sudden and unexpected cessation of blood flow. After a variable amount of time, breathing stops and pupils enlarge. Effective circulation must be restored within three minutes or else permanent brain damage and, typically, death result.
Give a blow to the chest, raise the legs to increase venous return, try to get the circulations back on track, and if all else fails, use artificial respiration.
Patient, usually an elderly, complains of severe cramping pain or discomfort in the legs while walking or on exertion, disappearing after a short rest or within minutes of cessation of activity. However, the pain recurs when the walk is resumed. The condition is INTERMITTENT CLAUDICATION.
Peripheral arteriosclerosis, which includes arterial thrombosis and is frequently associated with aging or diabetes, is the cause of intermittent claudication. It can also be brought on by inflammatory artery disease such as thrombangitis obliterans or by infections such as subacute bacterial endocarditis, tuberculosis, syphilis, typhoid fever or polyarteritis nodosa, giant cell art
Depending on where the obstruction, inflammation, or degeneration is occurring, the symptoms will vary slightly.
This occlusion, which is caused by the buergers disease, primarily affects the lower tibial or plantar arteries and causes foot claudication.
Symptoms
The following are immediate and severe symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest:
- Sudden collapse
- No pulse
- No breathing
- Loss of consciousness
Before sudden cardiac arrest, there may also be additional symptoms and signs, which could include:
- Chest discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness
- a palpitation is the rapid, fluttering, or pounding of the heart
However, unprovoked sudden cardiac arrest happens frequently.
Causes
An abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, is most frequently what leads to sudden cardiac arrest. This occurs when the electrical system of your heart isn’t functioning properly.
The electrical system of the heart regulates the rate and rhythm of your heartbeat; if something is wrong, your heart may beat too quickly, too slowly, or irregularly (arrhythmia); frequently, these arrhythmias are brief and harmless; however, some types can result in sudden cardiac arrest.
The most typical heart rhythm during cardiac arrest is ventricle fibrillation, which is caused by erratic, rapid electrical impulses that cause your ventricles to quiver ineffectively rather than pump blood.
Heart conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest
Although a life-threatening arrhythmia typically develops in a person with a preexisting, possibly undiagnosed heart condition, sudden cardiac arrest can occur in people without any known heart disease. Conditions include:
- Coronary artery disease.When a person has coronary artery disease, the blood flow to the heart is reduced as a result of the arteries becoming clogged with cholesterol and other deposits, which is the main cause of sudden cardiac arrest.
- Heart attack.In addition, a heart attack can leave scar tissue in your heart, which can cause electrical short circuits to form around it, which can result in abnormalities in your heart rhythm. A heart attack can cause ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac arrest, both of which are conditions that are frequently brought on by severe coronary artery disease.
- Enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy).The main cause of this is abnormal heart muscle, which frequently results in arrhythmias.
- Valvular heart disease.Your heart muscle may become stretched or thickened as a result of tight or leaking heart valves, and arrhythmia risk rises when the heart chambers enlarge or weaken under the strain brought on by a tight or leaking valve.
- Heart defect present at birth (congenital heart disease).Adults who have had corrective surgery for a congenital heart defect still have a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and sudden cardiac arrest in children or adolescents can be caused by congenital heart disease.
- Electrical problems in the heart.The term “primary heart rhythm abnormalities” refers to conditions like Brugada syndrome and long QT syndrome where the issue is with the heart’s electrical system itself rather than the heart muscle or valves.
Risk factors
The same factors that increase your risk of coronary artery disease also increase your risk of sudden cardiac arrest because these conditions are so frequently linked. These factors include:
- coronary artery disease running in the family
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- High blood cholesterol
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- An inactive lifestyle
You may be more susceptible to sudden cardiac arrest if any of the following additional factors exist:
- Cardiac arrest in the past or a history of the condition in the family
- A previous heart attack
- a personal or family history of another type of heart disease, such as cardiomyopathy, heart failure, congenital heart defects, or heart rhythm problems
- as you get older, your risk of suffering a sudden cardiac arrest rises.
- Being male
- using illicit substances like cocaine or amphetamines
- An unbalanced diet, such as having low levels of potassium or magnesium
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Chronic kidney disease
Complications
If your heart rhythm doesn’t quickly return to normal, brain damage takes place and death results. Survivors of cardiac arrest may exhibit signs of brain damage. Sudden cardiac arrest causes reduced blood flow to your brain, which causes unconsciousness.
Prevention
By maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle and getting regular checkups, you can lower your risk of suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.
Homoeopathic Treatment:
Lachesis mutus –When walking for long distances, the patient experiences cramps and pain in the calf muscles as well as a sensation as though the tendon is shortening, making them extremely sensitive to exertion, touch, and heat.
Lacticum acidum-Particularly in diabetics and people with rheumatic constitutions, the patient experiences generalized weakness after strenuous activity or long walks, as well as fatigue and limb numbness that turns into a dislike of exercise and shooting pains in the limbs.
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