A heart attack is the result of a build-up of cholesterol, fat, and other substances that causes plaque formation in the coronary arteries that provide blood flow to the heart. The plaque formation disrupts the blood flow and can damage the heart muscle.
Heart attacks often occur when people are alone. Knowing what to do when heart attack symptoms come on can save your life. People sometimes ignore symptoms of an oncoming, deadly heart attack, and this can be fatal.
Signs and Symptoms
The most obvious symptom of a heart attack is chest ache, pain or discomfort. Chest discomfort usually occurs in the center of the chest; other symptoms include: A feeling of heaviness, tightness, pressure, aching, burning, numbness, fullness, or squeezing. The pain can either last for several minutes, go away, or come back repeatedly.
Pains in the torso/upper body, including the arms, left shoulder, back, neck, jaw, or stomach
Difficulty breathing/feeling out of breath
Sweating or "cold" sweating
A sense of fullness, indigestion, or choking
Nausea or vomiting
Lightheadedness, dizziness, feeling like you might faint
Unexplained tiredness, weakness, extreme weakness (like you can't do easy tasks), or severe anxiety reacting to symptoms
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Risk Factors:
Men who are 45 years old or older and women who are 55 years old or older have an increased risk of suffering from a heart attack.
Tobacco use
High blood pressure or high blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels
Diabetes, obesity, and stress
Family history of heart attack
Lack of physical activity
Illegal drug use
A history of preeclampsia or an autoimmune condition such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus
What should you do if you are alone and have a heart attack?
Call 911 The most important thing to do when you suspect a heart attack is to call emergency medical services. Always call 911 before you attempt to contact anyone else. Calling 911 will almost always be the quickest way to get treatment. Even if you live in an area that an ambulance may have difficulty getting to, the emergency dispatcher can provide you with instructions on minimizing the damage.
Consider contacting someone to come over immediately. If you have a trustworthy neighbor or relative who lives nearby, make another phone call asking that person to come to meet you. Having another person nearby can be helpful if you suddenly go into cardiac arrest. You should only do this if the emergency dispatcher permits you to get off the phone or if you have a second line you can call on while the dispatcher stays on the first line. Do not rely on another person to get you to the hospital. Wait for emergency paramedics to show up.
Chew on aspirin. Chew and swallow a single 325-mg or two tablets of baby aspirin 81-mg. Chewing on aspirin is especially effective if done within 30 minutes of your first symptoms. Aspirin inhibits platelet development. Taking aspirin can delay the formation of blood clots that could further block your arteries during a heart attack.Chew the aspirin before swallowing it. By chewing the aspirin, you release more of the medicine directly into your stomach and hasten its ability to get into your bloodstream. Do NOT use this treatment if you are on a medication that interacts poorly with aspirin or have otherwise been told by your doctor not to take aspirin or if you are allergic to aspirin.
Do not attempt to drive. Driving yourself to the hospital is not recommended. If you begin to experience heart attack symptoms while driving, immediately pull off to the side of the road. If you suffer from a cardiac arrest, you will pass out. This is the main reason why driving while suffering from a heart attack is not advised.
Remain calm. As frightening as a heart attack is, rushing around or putting yourself into a state of panic can worsen the problem. Relax as much as possible to keep your heart rate steady and calm. Count as a way of slowing your heartbeat. Make sure that your counts are slow, using the standard one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand counting.
Lie down. Lie on your back and raise your legs upward. This opens up the diaphragm, making it easier for you to breathe and supply oxygen to your blood. Make the position easier to maintain by propping your legs up on pillows or another object. You could also lie down on the floor with your legs propped up on a couch or chair.
Make your way carefully if you cannot immediately lie down or sit, such as working on a ladder or crossing traffic. If you feel dizzy or unable to walk correctly, watching a fixed object such as the horizon or a large fixed object might help calm you and help you control the situation until help arrives.
Take deep, steady breaths of fresh air. Even though your instinct might be to take rapid breaths when you experience a heart attack, the best way to maintain a constant supply of oxygen to your blood and your heart is to take slow, deep breaths. Consider lying down in front of an open window, open door, fan, or air conditioner. Providing yourself with a consistent stream of fresh air can help supply your heart with oxygen.
DO NOT attempt Cough CPR. A common myth is that you can survive a heart attack alone by coughing in a particular manner. This probably won't work, and worse still, attempting this technique may put you in more danger. Attempting this procedure on your own can cause you to accidentally work against the rhythm of your heart and make it harder to get oxygen into your blood rather than easier.
Avoid food and drink. Eating and drinking are probably the last things on your mind when you experience a heart attack, but just in case, you should avoid food and drink even if you want them. Having anything other than aspirin in your system can make it more complicated for paramedics to give you adequate treatment. If necessary, you can swallow a little water to help you get the aspirin into your system, but even this should be avoided if possible.
Always follow-up with your doctor:
Talk to your doctor about what to do in the future. Suffering a heart attack increases your risk of experiencing a heart attack in the future. When you survive your heart attack this time, you should talk with your physician to discuss improving your chances of survival if you should suffer from one again.
Your physician can prescribe medications for treating cardiac problems, including:
Nitroglycerin to help widen the blood vessels and lower pressure on the arteries
Beta-blockers to block the hormones responsible for triggering stress responses in the heart and surrounding cardiac tissue.
Blood thinners to lessen chances of blood clots and anti-stickiness meds for platelets, both of which help prevent future heart attacks due to blockage of the arteries in the heart.
You should get treatment for your heart attack within the first hour of your initial symptoms. If you wait longer than that, your heart will have more difficulty repairing the damage/cell death in the muscles of the heart. The ultimate goal is to have the constricted artery back open within 90 minutes to minimize damage as much as possible.
It is also essential for you to talk to your doctor about reducing your risks of experiencing other heart diseases through diet, exercise/cardiac rehab, sleep, and other lifestyle changes.
