What To Do When Someone is having a Heart Attack?
Heart attack, known as myocardial infarction, is caused by obstruction of oxygenated blood flow to the heart, killing the heart’s cells. It is one of the heart disease symptoms and, if not attended swiftly, can lead to death.
Seeing someone having a heart attack can put anyone in a fix if you are not a healthcare professional. In such situations, every second counts, and their life depends on your actions.
Knowing what to do when someone is having a heart attack will help you take appropriate measures to save their life.
Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack
The symptoms of a heart attack vary from individual to individual. For some, it can be a crushing chest pain. Here are signs that may be related to a probable heart attack:
- Chest pain: This is one of the most common signs of a heart attack. The individual may feel pain in the chest and left side of the body that can last for a few minutes or come and go.
- Difficulty breathing: Someone having a heart attack can have difficulty breathing and gasp for breath.
- Body weakness: A heart attack can manifest as a general body weakness, especially in women and the elderly.
- Sweating profusely: A person having a heart attack can break out in cold sweats without any physical activity or changes in room temperature.
- Dizziness: The individual can become dizzy and lightheaded.
- Nausea and vomiting: This occurs majorly in women.
- Body pain: The chest pain may spread to the arms, shoulder, jaw, and upper abdomen.
- Fainting: An individual can faint and lose consciousness when having a heart attack.
If you find yourself with someone experiencing any of these or a combination of these symptoms in an unusual situation, do not ignore them and call for medical help immediately.
What to do When Someone is Having a Heart Attack?
Knowing what to do when someone is having a heart attack can make all the difference. Taking all necessary steps swiftly can help you potentially save someone’s life. Here is what you should do when you see someone having a heart attack:
- Call the emergency health line: You cannot stop a heart attack alone. However, you can reduce the risk till medical professionals arrive. So, call the emergency health line right away, explain the situation and give them your address. You can carry out the next steps, knowing that professional help is on the way.
- Position the patient well: The next step is to help the individual get into a resting position. Make sure they’re sitting up while resting their back. If the individual is wearing tight clothing, such as a tie, loosen it and unbutton their shirt.
- 3. Help them take prescribed medication: If the individual has been prescribed any specific medicine by their doctor and has the medication on them, help them take the prescribed dose.
- 4. Stay with the individual until help arrives: Do not leave the individual until the health professionals arrive. This gives them emotional support and reassurance, which can be comforting during a frightening situation.
What if the Person Faints and Becomes Unconscious?
If the individual becomes unconscious and unresponsive, the heart attack has likely proceeded to a cardiac arrest.
In the event of a heart attack, the heart is still beating despite the interrupted blood supply. However, during a cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating, breathing stops, and the individual becomes unconscious.
In such situations, you must quickly call the emergency medical line, inform them of the situation, and start CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) immediately.
Here is a step-by-step breakdown of the CPR procedure:
Step 1: Lay the person on their back.
Step 2: Check their breathing and pulse first. Only start CPR if they are not breathing or you don’t find a pulse.
Step 3: Kneel by the individual, position your hands on their chest as shown below, and start chest compressions (100-120 per minute). Use your upper body weight to press down, allowing the chest to rise fully between each compression.
Step 4: Continue the compressions until help arrives.
What Not to Do When Someone Has a Heart Attack?
While it is crucial to act fast, certain actions can worsen the situation. Here are some things that you must avoid when someone is having a heart attack:
- Do not panic: Feeling overwhelmed in such situations is natural. However, you must stay calm and focus on taking immediate action.
- Do not ignore the symptoms: Heart disease symptoms may vary. But dismissing them can be life-threatening.
- Do not give them unprescribed medication: While you might want to help them, giving them any medicine not prescribed by a medical professional can be risky and worsen their condition.
Conclusion
A heart attack can be life-threatening. Therefore, you must undergo regular heart health check-ups with a comprehensive test package. A heart test package can diagnose heart diseases, allowing you to monitor the health of your heart and take the necessary actions early.
If you find yourself with a person having a heart attack, make sure to take immediate action to increase their chances of survival. Every step you take can be the difference between life and death.
