First aid for a heart attack

A heart attack develops when the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked by a blood clot. Many people fully recover from a heart attack, but there is a serious risk that the heart may stop beating – cardiac arrest occurs. It is very important to provide first aid in case of a heart attack in a timely manner. People with angina are more likely to have a heart attack. It occurs when the arteries leading to the heart narrow when the heart muscle cannot get enough blood. It can occur not only in the process of performing physical exertion, but also during the rest period (a more dangerous condition). Pain in the heart area is usually a sharp pain in the chest, which can improve if you immediately calm down and take medicine for angina pectoris. It may only last a few minutes. If the pain lasts longer, a heart attack develops.

Signs of a heart attack

One symptom of a heart attack, chest pain, often starts in the middle of the chest and may move to the neck, jaw, ears, arms, and wrists. It can be localized between the shoulder blades, in the back and in the stomach area.

If the patient has pain behind the sternum, which can be either sharp or dull, then it is characterized as “heaviness, burning, tingling, squeezing” or strong pressure is felt. An attack can be similar to indigestion or heartburn.

Harbingers of a heart attack: increased anxiety, unexplained fatigue, discomfort, excitement, the severity of physical activity that was previously performed easily, pain is observed not only in the chest, but also radiates to the back, arms, etc., the intensity of heart pain increases , accompanied by squeezing and intense burning, attacks of heart pain become longer, there are sharp pains in the chest area. At risk are women, the elderly and those with any stage of diabetes. At the slightest suspicion of the development of a heart attack, it is recommended to call an ambulance as soon as possible.

Among the varieties of a heart attack, it is worth noting the pain form (sudden intense, pressing, burning, squeezing paroxysmal pain for up to five minutes in the left half of the chest or behind the sternum, sometimes the pain radiates to the upper abdomen, left half of the neck, under the left shoulder blade, left arm) and without a painful form (sharp feeling of suffocation, single vomiting, dizziness, weakness, interruptions in the work of the heart, shortness of breath).

Only a doctor can accurately establish a diagnosis, therefore, without fail, at the first signs of an attack, it is necessary to call an ambulance or take the patient to the nearest medical facility.

Algorithm of actions in the event of a heart attack

If the above symptoms are observed at any stage of intensity for more than five minutes, an ambulance should be called urgently. During the development of an attack, it is important to ensure that the patient is calm. Under strict prohibition:

• food and alcoholic beverages;
• smoking;
• self-driving car;
• performance of any kind of physical activity.

Before the arrival of the ambulance, it is necessary to perform the following actions: fix the time of the onset of the attack, measure the pulse, heart rate and blood pressure, take a sitting or lying position, it is important that the head is slightly raised.

Without fail, open the window and free the neck – to ensure free access of oxygen. After that, you need to give the patient aspirin – the tablet is chewed and swallowed (important: there should be no allergic reactions and contraindications to the drug). You can place a nitroglycerin tablet (0.5 mg) under the tongue, inject the spray into the oral cavity, bite the capsule and not swallow it, after taking it, you may experience a severe headache, shortness of breath, sweating, severe weakness, you can drink a glass of water to suppress symptoms.

If the patient’s condition worsens and he loses consciousness, it is necessary to do artificial respiration before the arrival of the ambulance. 15 minutes after taking nitroglycerin, if there is no relief, a second nitroglycerin tablet should be taken. The third dose of nitroglycerin is allowed after another 10 minutes – but usually an ambulance arrives before this time.

Ways to prevent a heart attack

If the patient is diagnosed with coronary heart disease (CHD) or there is a sharp increase in pressure, it is recommended to always carry nitroglycerin and aspirin with you. The risk of developing a heart attack is much higher:

• in the presence of large physical and psychological stress;
• with excessive levels of cholesterol in the blood;
• alcohol abuse;
• smoking;
• having a genetic predisposition.

It is important that relatives or others have basic skills in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), measuring pressure, pulse, and heart rate.

With a predisposition to a heart attack, it is recommended to regularly visit a cardiologist, start a “Diary”, in which to note the pulse and blood pressure daily. “Blood pressure control diary” should be shown to the doctor in order to select an effective drug therapy.

Important information

An ambulance team can be called from a mobile phone (regardless of the operator) at number 103, from a landline phone at number 03 or 103. Before the arrival of the ambulance team, it is necessary to prepare the patient’s medical record, certificates and extracts, the results of electrocardiography (if any) , a list of medications that the patient is allergic to, medications that the patient is taking or has taken the day before.

In any case, it is important to provide first aid in a timely manner in order to prevent the development of complications and death. A heart attack is a serious and dangerous condition of the patient, which absolutely cannot be ignored and in which it is not recommended to self-medicate.

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