Heart attack | Symptoms of a heart attack | Heart Attack Prevention | First aid in case of a heart attack




What is Heart Attack?

A heart attack is a serious condition where the arteries supplying blood to your heart is unable to do so because of a blockage or other complications.

The average person waits 3 hours before seeking help for symptoms of a heart attack. Many heart attack patients die before they reach a hospital. The sooner the person gets to the emergency room, the better the chance of survival. Prompt medical treatment reduces the amount of heart damage.

Symptoms in adults may include:

  • Changes in mental status, especially in older adults
  • Chest pain with shortness of breath. The pain is usually in the center of the chest. It may also be felt in the jaw, shoulder, arms, back, and stomach. It can last for more than a few minutes, or come and go.
  • Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms.
  • Cold sweat
  • Light-headedness
  • Nausea (more common in women)
  • Numbness, aching, or tingling in the arm (usually the left arm, but the right arm may be affected alone, or along with the left)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Weakness or fatigue, especially in older adults and in women





First aid in case of a heart attack:

  • Time is the very important factor to save the heart muscle from getting permanently damaged with bad short term
    and long term prognosis.
  • The first Hour after heart is also called the “Golden Hour” because effective treatment instituted within 1 hour to open the
    blocked artery can lead to complete reversal of the damage suffered.
  • Delay in starting the treatment leads to irreversible damage to the heart.
  • Treatment started more than 12 hours after suffering a heart attack is of very little use in most instances.

Quick tips for heart attack patients :

  • If a person is having chest pain, do not neglect it and get medical attention.
  • Have the person sit down, rest, and try to keep calm in ventilated area.
  • Administer aspirin or sorbitrate. A tablet of aspirin helps person to limit the damage.
  • 300 mgs of aspirin chewed at the time of heart attack can reduce the mortality by 15 to 20 per cent.
  • If person is sweating profusely or pulse is low do not administer sorbitrate
  • Ask the person to cough
  • A person suffering from a heart attack should receive medical care .

Prevention:

  • If you smoke, quit smoking
  • Keep blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes in good control
  • Do regular exercise to improve heart health
  • Eat a heart-healthy diet.fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains
  • Limit the amount of alcohol you drink




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