Heart Attack First Aid.
Heart attack first aid
The average person waits 3 hours before seeking help for symptoms of a heart attack. Many heart attack victims die before reaching a hospital. The sooner the person gets to the emergency room, the better the chance of survival. Immediate medical treatment reduces the amount of damage to the heart.
This article describes what to do if you think someone may have a heart attack.
Causes
A heart attack occurs when blood flow that carries oxygen to the heart are blocked. The heart muscle becomes starved for oxygen and begins to die.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a heart attack may vary from person to person. They can be mild or severe. Women, older adults and people with diabetes are more likely to have subtle or unusual symptoms.
Symptoms in adults may include:
Changes in mental status, especially in older adults
Chest pain that feels like pressure, squeezing, or fullness. The pain is usually in the center of the chest. It can also be felt in the jaw, shoulder, arms, back and stomach. It can last for more than a few minutes, or come and go.
Cold sweat
Unclear
Nausea (more common in women)
Numbness, painful, or tingling in the arm (usually the left arm, the right arm but may be affected alone or with the left hand)
Out of breath
Weakness or fatigue, especially in older adults and in women
First Aid.
If you think someone has a heart attack:
Have the person sit down, rest and try to remain calm.
Loosen tight clothing.
Ask if the person takes any chest pain medication, such as nitroglycerin, a known heart condition, and help them to take it.
If the pain does not go away promptly with rest or within 3 minutes of taking nitroglycerin, get medical help.
If the person is unconscious and unresponsive, call 911 (or your local emergency number), then begin CPR.
If an infant or child is unconscious and unresponsive, perform 1 minute of CPR, then call 911th
DO NOT
Do not leave the person alone except to call for help if necessary.
Do not allow the person to deny the symptoms and convince you not to call for help.
Do not wait to see if the symptoms disappear.
Give nothing by mouth unless cardiovascular medications (such as nitroglycerin) has been prescribed.
Heart attack first aid
The average person waits 3 hours before seeking help for symptoms of a heart attack. Many heart attack victims die before reaching a hospital. The sooner the person gets to the emergency room, the better the chance of survival. Immediate medical treatment reduces the amount of damage to the heart.
This article describes what to do if you think someone may have a heart attack.
Causes
A heart attack occurs when blood flow that carries oxygen to the heart are blocked. The heart muscle becomes starved for oxygen and begins to die.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a heart attack may vary from person to person. They can be mild or severe. Women, older adults and people with diabetes are more likely to have subtle or unusual symptoms.
Symptoms in adults may include:
Changes in mental status, especially in older adults
Chest pain that feels like pressure, squeezing, or fullness. The pain is usually in the center of the chest. It can also be felt in the jaw, shoulder, arms, back and stomach. It can last for more than a few minutes, or come and go.
Cold sweat
Unclear
Nausea (more common in women)
Numbness, painful, or tingling in the arm (usually the left arm, the right arm but may be affected alone or with the left hand)
Out of breath
Weakness or fatigue, especially in older adults and in women
First Aid.
If you think someone has a heart attack:
Have the person sit down, rest and try to remain calm.
Loosen tight clothing.
Ask if the person takes any chest pain medication, such as nitroglycerin, a known heart condition, and help them to take it.
If the pain does not go away promptly with rest or within 3 minutes of taking nitroglycerin, get medical help.
If the person is unconscious and unresponsive, call 911 (or your local emergency number), then begin CPR.
If an infant or child is unconscious and unresponsive, perform 1 minute of CPR, then call 911th
DO NOT
Do not leave the person alone except to call for help if necessary.
Do not allow the person to deny the symptoms and convince you not to call for help.
Do not wait to see if the symptoms disappear.
Give nothing by mouth unless cardiovascular medications (such as nitroglycerin) has been prescribed.