Hello guys, I’m back again. Today we will be talking about how to avoid going into cardiac arrest before 35. You might be asking yourself, “Is cardiac arrest not the same as a heart attack? No, they are two different things entirely. When it comes to having a heart attack, it is because the arteries that supply blood flow, packed with oxygen and nutrients that the heart muscles need are clogged. Let’s liken it to a plumbing problem.

This situation can be compared with a faulty pipe that doesn’t have enough pressure to push water out because dirt has blocked a part of the pipe. Yes, it’s like that. The clogged arteries are called the coronary arteries. And what usually causes the blockage is a combination of fats and other nasty things like cholesterol. While cardiac arrest can be likened to the heart having an electrical problem. The heart has regular electrical impulses that trigger it to beat.

But it becomes a problem when the electrical impulses become unstable. It starts to release erratic electrical impulses that cause the heart to have something called arrhythmia. Arrhythmia can also be referred to as an irregular heartbeat and when this happens, the pump begins to fail. A heart attack can, however, lead to cardiac arrest. Either way, none of these heart conditions is fun to have. This is why we need to educate ourselves on the signs, the causes, and what we can do to avoid it.

Signs of cardiac arrest before 35

Before the body breaks down, it communicates with us. It is now left to us to listen to what our body is trying to tell us and act before it’s too late. So, here are some common symptoms of cardiac arrest before 35

• Difficulty Breathing

When you start to feel really tired and find it hard to breathe, please don’t treat malaria. That could be your body’s way of telling you to ask for help. So, if you feel exhausted for days even after a restful night, see your doctor immediately.

• Excessive Sweating

Sweating excessively for no justifiable reason is another red flag to look out for. Some people sit down in an air-conditioned room and just start sweating. That can’t be normal. Kindly seek professional help.

• Chest pains

Chest pains are one of the most common symptoms of cardiac arrest before 35 . You might feel like your chest is constricted and you feel like there’s an intense pressure there. Watch out for this. This pressure could also spread to your shoulder and arms. These pains are, however, experienced on the left-hand side of the body. That’s where most people have their hearts. This is by the way but did you know that some people were born with their hearts on their right side? That is very true. So, if you start to have chest pains that feel like intense pressure and it persists for about 15 minutes, please see a doctor. You could be going into cardiac arrest.

• Pain in the Back and Jaw

If you notice that you have some pain in your back and jaw, run to your doctor. It could be serious. Do not self-medicate on pain relievers. See your doctor instead before you get cardiac arrest before 35.

• Dizziness

When you start to feel dizzy, sit down immediately. Do not make any sudden movements as this could cause you to collapse. So, sit down and get help immediately. If you have a combination of the symptoms above, please it is imperative that you see a doctor immediately. This could save your life.

What causes cardiac arrest before 35

A host of things could cause cardiac arrest before 35. The use of recreational drugs could cause one to go into cardiac arrest. It doesn’t matter if you are healthy, if you use recreational drugs, this could happen to you. And when I say recreational drugs, I mean cocaine, heroin, tobacco, inhalants, alcohol, marijuana, PCP and the rest. Well, you get the gist. Heart medications can cause cardiac arrest. You are confused right? Let me explain.

We talked about arrhythmia earlier which could cause a heart attack. The drugs prescribed to manage arrhythmia could produce ventricular arrhythmias and this is what doctors call the proarrhythmic effect. The changes in blood levels of potassium and magnesium could cause one to go into cardiac arrest before 35. So, if we have drugs like this, make sure to pay attention to your body and talk to your doctor, so you are well informed. Electrical abnormalities could cause sudden cardiac arrest in younger people, even children. Cardiomyopathy is another cause of cardiac arrest.

Don’t let the medical jargons stress you. Cardiomyopathy is a thickened heart muscle. This is when damage has been done to the heart muscle as a result of high blood pressure, heart valve disease and other heart conditions. Heart failure also makes one prone to cardiac arrest which can lead to death. Oh man! This is a really scary condition to have and yet we have a lot of people who go through this day in day out. There might be no definite way to make sure we do not develop this condition but there are ways to reduce the risk of going into cardiac arrest before we hit 35.

Ways to reduce the risk of cardiac arrest before 35

I think we all know what we should be doing right but because it’s really hard to adjust to that kind of strict regimen, we risk it all. Well there are ways to live healthy and still chop life, so to speak. Here are ways to reduce the risk of cardiac arrest:

• Exercise

A lot of us are guilty of not doing this. I’m hiding my face a little too because I’m guilty but that’s okay. If you are not the kind to exercise, try to incorporate walking into your daily routine. Instead of taking the elevator at work, take the stairs. These are forms of exercises. It is recommended that we exercise for, at least, 30 minutes every day. I try to do yoga every day and that has helped me greatly. Find a way to exercise every day and your body will thank you for it.

• Eat healthily

Eat healthily. I’m talking to you, yes, you. There are really cool ways to eat healthily. You can still eat your swallow and soup but practice portion control and make sure to eat a fruit every day. Eat foods that are high in healthy fats and do away with processed foods. I can do it; you can do it. We can do it.

• Don’t smoke

We all have vices but smoking is a vice that will not end well. It just won’t. If you can’t stop outrightly, try to wean yourself off it till you can stop it. It’s important that you stop smoking so as to reduce your risk of going into cardiac arrest.

• Lose weight

This is a shout out to all my plus size queens and kings. You are beautiful the way you are; we just have to make sure we are healthy too. Health is wealth, right? I agree. So, if you are overweight, try to lose some of that extra weight and your heart will thank you for it. It’s never too late to make that life change. You can do whatever you set your mind to. So, start eating right and exercising. This might just save your life.

So these are ways to avoid cardiac arrest before 35