Stroke vs. Heart Attack: What's the Difference?

Both stroke and heart attack are serious conditions that occur suddenly with some impending symptoms that require immediate medical intervention. While both conditions involve the blood vessels and can lead to permanent disability or severe complications, it is crucial to know the differences between the two medical conditions.

Heart Attack

Myocardial infarction, most commonly known as a heart attack, is mostly a case of progressive coronary artery disease. In the case of coronary artery diseases, the arteries supplying blood to the heart are blocked due to deposits of fat which causes the arteries to become narrow, leading to a condition called Atherosclerosis. Due to blockage in the flow of blood, brain cells do not get enough oxygen and suffer damage. Even the heart muscles get damaged due to a lack of oxygen. 

Symptoms Of Heart Attack

There are some pronounced symptoms when a heart attack occurs:

• Chest Pain or Tightness
• Unexplained Pain in the Arm or Shoulders, in the Back, Neck, or in the Jaw
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness, dizziness, and fainting

A heart attack might also be accompanied by vomiting or nausea. If you suspect someone is having a heart attack, you should call an ambulance at the earliest and be ready to give CPR if need be.

Stroke

A stroke is caused in a similar manner as a heart attack which occurs in the brain. Therefore, the blood vessels of the brain are affected due to a lack of oxygen supply to the brain, causing a part of the brain to get damaged or die. 

A stroke is often caused by blockages due to clots or due to lacerated blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to the death of the brain cells due to lack of oxygen.

Symptoms of a Stroke

The Stroke symptoms include the following:

• Unexpected dizziness 
• Sudden confusion
• Loss of balance
• Numbness/Weakness in one side of your body
• Severe Headache
• Unusual blurriness in one or both eyes
• Sudden problems in speech and communication

The symptoms of a stroke are mostly similar to a heart attack; therefore, for faster determination of a stroke, remember the following abbreviations that list the visible signs of a stroke.

How to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke?

The pathogenesis (cause) behind stroke and heart attack are mostly similar. Identifying the signs on time will help prevent extreme damage to the blood vessels. However, as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, so we should take care to reduce our risks of getting affected by a heart attack or a stroke.

Both heart attack and stroke can be averted by trying to avoid the risk factors leading to such diseases. These risk factors include smoking, stress, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle. You have to make some lifestyle changes in order to control the risk factors contributing to heart attack or stroke. 

• You should quit smoking tobacco as well as other uses of tobacco.
• You should also avoid alcohol consumption in order to prevent coronary artery diseases that can lead to heart attack or stroke.
• You should eat a healthy diet comprising vegetables, nuts, and fruits. You can also include a diet of fish and poultry, but you should avoid red meat, dairy products, and processed food as much as possible.
• Getting plenty of exercise is important to take good care of your heart.
• To avoid a heart attack or stroke, you should take medicine prescribed to regulate your blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol.

You should go for regular screening tests for heart and vascular diseases to measure your blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), pulse rate, etc. In case of any query, you should always consult your doctor for an applicable prevention plan.