The immediate cause of sudden cardiac arrest is usually an abnormality in the heart rhythm (arrhythmia), which is the result of a problem with the heart’s electrical system.
Unlike other muscles in the body, which rely on nerve connections to receive electrical stimulation to function, the heart has its own electrical stimulator. Interruptions in the electrical stimulation can be serious enough to lead to a sudden stop in heart function (sudden cardiac arrest). Most of the time, cardiac-arrest-inducing arrhythmias don’t occur on their own. There is usually a trigger.
Signs and symptoms
These include sudden collapse and loss of consciousness and a lack of pulse or breath. Other signs may include fatigue, fainting, blackouts, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, palpitations or vomiting.
Complications
Cardiac arrest is preventable with healthy lifestyle
The immediate cause of sudden cardiac arrest is usually an abnormality in the heart rhythm (arrhythmia), which is the result of a problem with the heart’s electrical system.
Unlike other muscles in the body, which rely on nerve connections to receive electrical stimulation to function, the heart has its own electrical stimulator. Interruptions in the electrical stimulation can be serious enough to lead to a sudden stop in heart function (sudden cardiac arrest). Most of the time, cardiac-arrest-inducing arrhythmias don’t occur on their own. There is usually a trigger.
Signs and symptoms
When sudden cardiac arrest occurs, the brain is the first part of the body to suffer because, unlike other organs, it doesn’t have a reserve of oxygen-rich blood. It’s completely dependent on an uninterrupted supply of blood. Reduced blood flow to the brain causes unconsciousness. There are a number of heart conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. They include coronary artery disease, heart attack, an enlarged heart, and leaking or narrowing of the heart valves, amongst others.
Risk factors
Because sudden cardiac arrest is so often linked with coronary artery disease, the same factors that put a person at risk of coronary artery disease may also put that person at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. These include: A family history of coronary artery disease, smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, drinking too much alcohol.
Other factors include a previous episode of cardiac arrest or a family history of cardiac arrest; a previous heart attack; a personal or family history of other forms of heart disease, such as heart rhythm disorders, congenital heart defects, heart failure, etc.
The incidence of sudden cardiac arrest increases with age, and being male. Men are two to three times more likely to experience sudden cardiac arrest compared to women.
Sudden cardiac arrest prevention tips:
Healthy lifestyle: There’s no sure way to know someone’s risk of cardiac arrest, so reducing the level of risk is the best strategy. Go for regular checkups, get screened for heart disease and live a heart-healthy lifestyle. Don’t smoke, and use alcohol in moderation. Eat a nutritious, balanced diet, stay physically active. Remember, fitness is more important than being thin. In discussing this I don’t want to promote weight gain. More importantly, I think there is more to daily health than weight and the pursuit of being underweight. In this regard, fitness is more than being thin and is more important than being thin.
If you know you have heart disease or conditions that make you more vulnerable to an unhealthy heart, discuss with your doctor who would recommend appropriate steps to improve your health.
What to eat: A heart-healthy lifestyle includes, heart-healthy eating, and regular exercise. Heart-healthy eating includes fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as, skim milk, fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, trout, about twice a week.
Add fruits, such as apples, bananas, oranges, pears, and watermelon; legumes, such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas; vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and carrots.
What to avoid eating: Avoid eating a lot of red meat, palm and coconut oils, sugary foods and beverages, saturated fat—found mostly in foods that come from animals; trans fat (trans fatty acids)—found in foods made with hydrogenated oils and fats, such as stick margarine; baked goods. Also reduce your salt intake.
Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall health and can lower risk for sudden cardiac arrest. Obesity is the condition in which a person is overweight and has a high degree of body fat. Obesity is measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI)
It is possible to control obesity or get rid of it using various home remedies and lifestyle changes. The following home remedies will not just control obesity but help you maintain a healthy body and mind.
Green Tea
Green tea has been found to be very effective in weight loss and will help in treating weight loss without any dieting or weight loss pills. Boil the green tea leaves and let it simmer for a few minutes. Drink two to three times a day to see visible results in days.
Apple cider vinegar & lime juice
Mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon of lemon juice in a cup of lukewarm water. Drink this glass of water on an empty stomach every day for two to three months. You will see visible results as water will keep you hydrated, apple cider vinegar will boost your metabolism and lemon will help in improving the taste of water.
Start your day with honey
Take a teaspoon of honey and mix it in a glass of hot water. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to this water mixture. Drink this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Repeat daily for two to three months to see an effective weight loss.
Drink hot water
If you have the habit of drinking cold water, try to replace it with warm or appreciably hot water. Hot water will help in eliminating the fat deposits in your body. Drink hot water after every meal and make sure that you leave a gap of half an hour between the food and the water. Never drink water immediately after eating.
Managing and coping with stress, relaxing, and cope with problems can improve emotional and physical health.
Managing and coping with stress, relaxing, and cope with problems can improve emotional and physical health.
Stop smoking: The researchers from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry researchers led by David A. Scott, found that Cigarette smoke and its components promote biofilm formation by several pathogens.
In the findings released on this year’s World No Tobacco Day, the researchers who explored how cigarettes lead to infiltration of bacteria in the body said the mouth is the dirtiest parts of the body and smoking makes it worse.
According to them, puffing cigarettes can increase the likelihood that certain bacteria like Porphyromonas gingivalis will not only set up camp but will build a fortified city in the mouth and fight against the immune system.
Scott and his team identified how tobacco smoke, composed of thousands of chemical components, stating that tobacco smoke is an environmental stressor and promotes bacteria colonization and immune invasion.
Scott explained that Biofilms are composed of numerous microbial communities often made up of complex, interacting and co-existing multispecies structures. Bacteria can form biofilms on most surfaces including teeth, heart valves and the respiratory tract.
“Once a pathogen establishes itself within a biofilm, it can be difficult to eradicate as biofilms provide a physical barrier against the host immune response, can be impermeable to antibiotics and act as a reservoir for persistent infection,” Scott added.
“Furthermore, biofilms allow for the transfer of genetic material among the bacterial community and this can lead to antibiotic resistance and the propagation of other virulence factors that promote infection.”
