How To Manage A Heart Attack Case

Heart attacks can come unannounced. While it is agonizing for the one suffering from it, the victim’s loved ones also get affected.

Heart attacks occur when a part of the heart does not get enough blood. When an important artery experiences blockage due to bad cholesterol, cardiac history or any other reason – the blood fails to reach the heart. This results in an individual experiencing a heart attack. 

This is different from a cardiac arrest which means total cessation of the heart function.

While the unsettling idea of witnessing a loved one experience a heart attack is distasteful, one must be prepared to intervene and cumber its effects. Here’s how you can be prepared for such a situation, should it occur to you or a loved one:

Be aware of the warning signs:

While the symptoms of a heart attack may vary, about 90% of heart attack victims experience the most common symptoms. The most common indications are severe chest pain at the central or left part of the chest, incessant sweating, pain radiating to the arms, back, shoulder blades or jaw and breathlessness.

These could be warning signs of a heart attack:

• Discomfort in the chest, especially the center, that lasts more than a few minutes or comes and goes. The discomfort may feel like heaviness, fullness, squeezing, or pain.
• Discomfort in the upper body parts such as the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach. This may feel like pain or general discomfort.
• Shortness of breath. This may come with or without chest discomfort.
• Unusual sensations such as a cold sweat, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, or dizziness. Women are more likely than men to experience these kinds of symptoms.

Call Emergency Response Africa (ERA) -0 8000 2255 372- immediately:

Get medical attention as soon as possible. When you call Emergency Response Africa’s (ERA) TOLL FREE number, we would begin preparing the vital necessities even before transporting you to a medical facility. Our paramedics are trained to revive people experiencing heart attacks and can also transport you to our verified partner hospital for rapid care. Please, avoid using a cab or having a loved one drive you to a medical facility unless absolutely necessary.

Always keep Aspirin handy:

Aspirin prevents blood clotting and ensures healthy blood flow to your arteries. Always have enough at your disposal and keep them at frequented places at home and office. Whenever you experience any symptoms, take a tablet with a glass of water.

Once our paramedics arrive, they will transport you to the hospital, where you receive care for the specific type of heart attack you had.

Pick a comfortable spot:

Place the patient in a comfortable position. Loosen their clothes if that helps them feel better.

Always keep a list of your medical data handy:

Be it prior medication or any allergies, it’s important to keep this information with you and share it with your loved ones. It helps ERA’s paramedic analyze the situation and deliver medical aid appropriately.

Perform CPR if essential:

If a loved one has a history of heart attacks, it helps to train yourself to perform a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation procedure, if the need ever arises. Heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest if care is not prioritized and so it is important to have CPR skills handy. If you are trained to perform CPR, inform an emergency medical service personnel before administering it. Matters of the heart can be hard to address, but the little things you do before professional help arrives can go a long way.

Be well informed:

Always have enough family members and friends informed about the warning signs of a heart attack. Heart attacks might come unannounced. But surrounding ourselves with well-informed individuals can definitely make us better prepared to deal with them.

What should you do if you think you’re having a heart attack when you’re alone?

If you’re alone and experience any of the above heart attack symptoms, call 911 right away. Take aspirin if you have it on hand. Then, unlock your front door and lie down near it, so EMS workers can easily find you.

Is there a fast way to stop a heart attack?

No, there is not a fast way to stop a heart attack without seeking emergency medical treatment at a hospital. Online you’ll find many “fast” heart attack treatments. However, these “fast” treatments are not effective and could be dangerous by delaying emergency medical treatment.

Cough CPR

One type of treatment found online is called cough CPR. Some online sources claim that breathing deeply, and then coughing deeply, can raise your blood pressure for a second or two. Sources say this can deliver more blood to your brain. The claim also says that if your heart is beating normally, a deep cough may be able to set it back to normal.

How to decrease risk factors associated with a heart attack

While you can’t control all your heart attack risk factors, such as aging, gender (men are at higher risk), and heredity, there are some that you can control. To prevent your risk of a heart attack:

• Stop smoking and minimize your exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Get your high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure under control by modifying your diet, losing weight, taking medication, or doing a combination of these things.
• Stay physically active daily.
• Control your weight if you’re overweight or obese.
• If you have diabetes, take care by sticking to your treatment plan and managing your blood sugar.
• Get a handle on the stress in your life by practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing or yoga, or try talk therapy.
• Limit your alcohol consumption.
• Consume a healthy and balanced diet, rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals.