How to Survive a Heart Attack When Alone

Source: By Alvin Chumari for Health Xchange, with expert input from the Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre
Singapore(NHCS), a member of the SingHealth group.

If you were to suffer a heart attack while in the company of people, calling out for help is probably the first instinctive thing
youd do. But what if a heart attack happened when youre alone, would you likely survive it? The answer may surprise you.

Recognising symptoms of a heart attack

To know if youre suffering from a heart attack, you first need to be able to identify its symptoms. Classical symptoms of a
heart attack include:

Severe chest pain (like squeezing, or a heaviness, or pressing) at the central or left part of the chest, lasting
usually for at least 20 min. The pain may also radiate to the left upper arm, neck or jaw.

Profuse sweating and a feeling of impending doom.

About 90 per cent of heart attack sufferers experience the classical symptoms. However, the elderly, females and those
suffering from diabetes may develop non-classical heart attack symptoms. These include shortness of breath, mild chest
pain, nausea, vomiting and pain in the epigastric region (upper central portion of the abdomen), says Dr Chin Chee Tang,
Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), a member of
theSingHealth group.

What to do when a heart attack occurs?

Should you experience a heart attack regardless of whether youre alone or in the presence of others the very first
thing to do is to call for emergency medical help. You need specialised treatment to be delivered to you as quickly as
possible in order to save your heart muscle.

Should you be alone when a heart attack occurs, stop whatever youre doing, proceed to a safe place to rest and call for
medical help. For example, if youre driving, first pull to the side of the road and call for aid, advises Dr Chin.

What you could do while waiting for medical help to arrive

Large studies have also shown that taking an aspirin the most commonly taken blood thinning medication in the world
during a heart attack improves survival.
Most cases of heart attack are caused by a blood clot forming in one of the blood vessels responsible for supplying blood to
the heart. The resulting blockage deprives the heart of oxygen-rich blood, causing damage to the heart muscle, which
progressively dies. Taking an aspirin during a heart attack may help as it prevents the clot from getting bigger, giving the
body a chance to break down the blood clot.
If you have aspirin at home, and you know that you are not allergic to it, then you could consider taking it while waiting for
the emergency medical services to arrive.

What does NOT improve survival during a heart attack

Could taking nitroglycerin a prescribed medication that temporarily widens blood vessels to improve blood supply to the
heart also help?
Dr Chin says, Nitroglycerin has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or improve survival substantially during an attack.
It is more useful for patients with angina, an altogether different condition where patients experience chest pain or
discomfort when exerting themselves."
Angina results from an imbalance in the supply and demand for blood to the heart, but it is due to a narrowed blood vessel
and not to a clot that needs to be broken down. Taking nitroglycerin during such a situation may temporarily expand the
narrowed blood vessel and relieve discomfort.

Coughing repeatedly, also unlikely to help in case of a heart attack

As for self-administered treatments such as coughing repeatedly or applying pressure on the chest area during a heart
attack, Dr Chin cautions that these are probably just urban legends.
He explains, In rare cases where the heart beat is very slow from an abnormal reflex mechanism, coughing may help
restore normal heart rhythm but this is not what happens in a heart attack."
Similarly, applying pressure on the chest area during a heart attack is unlikely to help unless the persons heart has stopped
beating (also known as a cardiac arrest). When this happens, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) should be administered
ideally by someone who is trained to do so.
Even if a person is qualified to give CPR, he or she should call for help and notify the emergency medical services before
administering aid, says Dr Chin.
Article contributed by the Dept of Cardiology at:

Refrences:
http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/SpecialFocus/Pages/How-toSurvive-a-Heart-Attack-When-Alone.aspx

Part

Getting Help During a Heart Attack

1.

1
Seek medical attention immediately. About 90% of people who suffer a heart
attack survive if they arrive at the hospital alive.

[26][27]

Many heart attack fatalities

occur because victims fail to receive swift medical attention, and their failure to do so
is often caused by their own hesitation to act. If you feel any of the above symptoms,
don't try to wait them out. Call 9-1-1 (or your country's equivalent emergency
telephone number) to get help immediately.
o

While it's true that the symptoms could be harmless if you are indeed
suffering a heart attack your life depends on getting medical attention as quickly as

possible. Don't be afraid of being embarrassed or wasting the doctors' or

paramedics' time they will understand.
Emergency medical personnel can begin treatment as soon as they

arrive, so calling for emergency assistance is the fastest way to get help during a
heart attack.
Dont drive yourself to the hospital. If medical personnel cant reach you

in good time, or if there are no other emergency options, have a family member,
friend or neighbor drive you to the closest emergency room.

[28]

2
Make people aware that you may be having a heart attack. If you're around family
or out in public when you believe you may suffering from a heart attack, let people
know. If your situation worsens, your life may depend on someone giving you CPR,
and you're more likely to get effective help if people know what's going on.

If you're on the road, stop the car and flag down a passing motorist, or

call 9-1-1 and wait if you are somewhere where paramedics can quickly reach you.
If you're on an airplane, notify a flight attendant immediately.

Commercial airlines carry medication on board that may be helpful, and the flight
attendant can also find out if there's a doctor on the plane and perform CPR if
necessary. Pilots are also required to detour to the nearest airport if a passenger is
having a heart attack.

3
Minimize activity. If you cannot get to medical attention quickly, try to remain calm
and do as little as possible. Sit down, rest and wait for emergency medical services
to arrive. Exertion can strain your heart and can worsen the damage caused by a
heart attack.[29]

4
Take an aspirin or nitroglycerin, if appropriate. Many people can benefit from
taking an aspirin at the onset of a heart attack. You should take one tablet
immediately and chew it slowly while you wait for emergency personnel to arrive. If
you have been prescribed nitroglycerin, take one dose at the onset of a heart attack
and call emergency services.
o

Aspirin may worsen some conditions, however, so ask your doctor

today whether this is an appropriate course of action. [30][31][32]
Refrences : http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-Heart-Attack