Surviving a Heart Attack When Alone
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without
help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to
feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.
However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and
very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and
the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from
deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about
every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the
heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen
into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the
blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it
regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a
hospital. Tell as many other people as possible about this. It could
save their lives!!
A prominent cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to
10 people you can bet that we'll save at least one life. Read
this...It could save your life!!
Let's say it's 6.15 p.m. and you're driving home (alone of course),
after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and
frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest
that starts
to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about
five k's from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't
know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have been trained in
CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to
perform it on yourself.
Be a friend and send this
article to as many friends as possible!
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What Is A Heart
Attack?
The heart works 24 hours a day, pumping
oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to the body. Blood is supplied to the
heart through its coronary arteries. In coronary heart disease (CHD),
plaques or fatty substances build up inside the walls of the arteries.
The plaques also attract blood components, which stick to the artery
wall lining. Called atherosclerosis, the process develops gradually,
over many years. It often begins early in life, even in childhood.
The fatty buildup or plaque can break open and lead to
the formation of a blood clot that seals the break. The clot reduces
blood flow. The cycle of fatty buildup, plaque rupture, and blood clot
formation causes the coronary arteries to narrow, reducing blood flow.
When too little blood reaches the heart, the condition is called
ischemia. Chest pain, or angina, may occur. The pain can vary in
occurrence and be mild and intermittent, or more pronounced and steady.
It can be severe enough to make normal everyday activities difficult.
The same inadequate blood supply also may cause no symptoms, a condition
called silent ischemia.
If a blood clot suddenly cuts off most or all blood supply to the
heart, a heart attack results. Cells in the heart muscle that do not
receive enough oxygen-carrying blood begin to die. The more time that
passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the greater the damage
to the heart.
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Who's At Risk?
Heart attacks strike both men and women.
However, some persons are more likely than others to have a heart attack
because of their "risk factors." Risk factors are behaviors or
conditions that increase the chance of a disease. Some of the risk
factors for heart attack are beyond your control, but most can be
modified to help you lower your risk of having a first–or repeat–heart
attack.
Factors that increase the risk of a heart attack are:
Factors you cannot control
- Pre-existing coronary heart diseases, including a previous heart
attack, a prior angioplasty or bypass surgery, or angina
- Age-In men, the risk increases after age 45; in women, the risk
increases after age 55.
- Family history of early heart disease-a father or brother
diagnosed before age 55; or a mother or sister diagnosed before age
65.
Factors you can control
- Smoking.
- High blood pressure.
- High blood cholesterol.
- Overweight and obesity.
- Physical inactivity.
- Diabetes.
Risk factors do not add their effects in a simple way. Rather, they
multiply each other’s effects. So, it is very important to prevent or
control risk factors that can be modified. If you have one or more of
these factors, see your health care provider to find out how to reduce
your risk of having a first or repeat heart attack.
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Heart Attack
Warning Signs
A heart attack is a frightening event, and
you probably don't want to think about it. But, if you learn the signs
of a heart attack and what steps to take, you can save a life–maybe your
own.
What are the signs of a heart attack? Many people think a heart attack
is sudden and intense, like a "movie" heart attack, where a person
clutches his or her chest and falls over.
The truth is that many heart attacks start slowly, as a mild pain or
discomfort. If you feel such a symptom, you may not be sure what's
wrong. Your symptoms may even come and go. Even those who have had a
heart attack may not recognize their symptoms, because the next attack
can have entirely different ones.
Women may not think they're at risk of having a heart attack–but they
are. Learn more about women and heart attack.
It's vital that everyone learn the warning signs of a heart attack.
These are:
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve
discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few
minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like
uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Can
include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw,
or stomach.
- Shortness
of breath. Often comes along with chest discomfort. But it also can
occur before chest discomfort.
- Other symptoms. May include breaking out in a cold
sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.
Learn the signs–but also remember: Even if you're not
sure it's a heart attack, you should still have it checked out. Fast
action can save lives-maybe your own.
After you learn more about heart attack, try a brief quiz to see if you
know what to do if you or someone else has warning signs.
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Testing For A
Heart Attack
If you think you’re having a heart attack,
get help at once. Don’t wait to be sure. Call 9-1-1 right away. Delay
can be deadly.
Once you get help, you will undergo tests to see if a heart attack has
actually occurred. Some tests are done at the hospital, while others can
be done by emergency medical personnel who come in an ambulance. (Tests
and treatments done by emergency medical personnel.)
Key heart attack tests are:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This is a graphic
record of the electrical activity of the heart as it contracts and
relaxes. The ECG can detect abnormal heartbeats, some areas of damage,
inadequate blood flow, and heart enlargement.
- Blood test. A blood test will be done routinely to
check for enzymes or other substances that are released when cells
begin to die. These are "markers" of the amount of damage to your
heart.
- Nuclear scan. This test shows areas of the heart
that lack blood flow and are damaged. It also can reveal problems with
the heart’s pumping action. A small amount of radioactive material is
injected into a vein, usually in the arm. A scanning camera positioned
over the heart records whether the nuclear material is taken up by the
heart muscle (healthy areas) or not (damaged areas). The camera also
can evaluate how well the heart muscle pumps blood. This test can be
done during both rest and exercise, enhancing the usefulness of its
results.
- Coronary angiography (or arteriography). This test
is used to check blockages and narrowed areas inside coronary
arteries. A fine tube (catheter) is threaded through an artery of an
arm or leg up into the heart. A dye that shows up on X ray is then
injected into the blood vessel, and the vessels and heart are filmed
as the heart pumps. The picture is called an angiogram or arteriogram.
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Reducing Heart
Attack Risk
You can reduce your risk of having a heart attack - even if you already
have coronary heart disease (CHD) or have had a previous heart attack.
The key is to take steps to prevent or control your heart disease risk
factors.
Six Key Steps To Reduce Heart Attack Risk
Taking these steps will reduce your risk of having a heart attack:
- Stop smoking
- Lower high blood pressure
- Reduce high blood cholesterol
- Aim for a healthy weight
- Be physically active each day
- Manage diabetes
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