What is the difference between strokes and heart attacks

If you suspect someone may be having a heart attack, call or seek medical treatment immediately. If the patient stops breathing, perform CPR or use a defibrillator if one is available. If the patient is breathing and conscious, some professionals suggest taking an aspirin while you wait for medical help to arrive unless the patient is allergic to aspirin, or has been instructed by their doctor to avoid taking aspirin.

When either of these life-threatening conditions occur, responding quickly is essential; but preventing them from happening in the first place is even better.

In most cases, both heart attack and stroke can be prevented and many of their risk factors are the same, including: chronic and short-term stress , smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle. The best ways to reduce your risk of suffering from stroke or heart attack are to make healthy lifestyle choices such as: minimizing stress by practicing stress-reduction techniques, exercising on a regular basis , eating a healthy diet , and avoiding or minimizing harmful activities such as smoking.

Want to learn more about your risk for heart attacks and strokes? Have you experienced a heart attack or stroke in the past, and want to reduce your chances of experiencing a second one? Contact our team of medical professionals at Tri-City Medical Center. What is a Stroke? Symptoms of Stroke Stroke symptoms are the direct result of brain cells dying due to a lack of oxygen. Use the mnemonic FAST to help you remember how to identify and respond to a stroke quickly: F acial drooping A rm weakness S peech difficulties T ime: Time is of the essence.

If you or someone you know experiences any one or more of the above symptoms, seeking medical attention immediately can make the difference between life and death. What Can You Do? What is a Heart Attack? A heart attack refers to damage to the muscle of the heart, usually from a lack of blood flow.

Most of the time, a blood clot forms in one of the arteries that supply the heart muscle, blocking the flow of blood that it needs to nourish it. As the heart muscle starves, it begins to die. This causes chest pain and other heart attack symptoms.

The term heart attack is self-explanatory. They aren't exactly the same, but the first aid treatment is the same for both types of a heart attack.

Before someone experiences a heart attack, he could have symptoms of a heart attack that go away even without treatment.

A narrowing of an artery leading to the heart muscle can cause what's known as angina. A stroke is also a blockage, usually a blood clot, in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. When a clot forms in one of those arteries and stops blood flow, a section of the brain begins to die. Stroke symptoms often don't include any pain or discomfort. A stroke is more likely to be associated with losing feeling or the ability to move.

Much of the time, strokes affect only one side of the body. Strokes come in three forms. Stroke is a puzzling term. Some say it is short for "stroke of God" and refers to the immediate and devastating effects of that blood clot in the brain. Some in the medical community are attempting to do away with the term stroke and replace it with brain attack. This change is difficult to make, and there is already a term with the word attack in it that refers to a type of stroke.

A heart attack is a blockage of an artery in the heart that leads to a damaged heart muscle unless it goes away on its own without treatment. This means making healthy lifestyle choices:. The American Heart Association recommends that you begin screening for heart and vascular disease by age Screening includes measuring your blood pressure, body mass index an assessment of your weight and height , waist circumference, and pulse rate at each regular health care visit, or at least every two years.

If you are at normal risk, you should get a cholesterol profile every five years - more often if your risk is higher. About Us. Why Columbus Regional Health? Learn More About Us. Birthing Center.

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