First Aid For
A Heart Attack

First aid for a heart attack needs to be swift. A heart attack is when the heart muscle is injured by a loss of blood supply. This usually happens when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood through an artery.

Years ago there was only a slim chance of surviving a heart attack. But now with better treatments and more awarenss of early warning signs the majority of people who have attacks will survive.

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Signs and Symptoms

• A squeezing pain, pressure or fullness in the center of your chest that lasts for longer than a few minutes.
• Chest pain. With increasing frequency.
• Fainting.
• Feeling of impending doom.
• Lightheadedness.
• Pain radiating from your chest to your arms, back, shoulders and even your teeth and jaw.
• Prolonged pain in the upper abdomen.
• Shortness of breath.
• Sweating.
• Vomiting and nausea.

Go to the hospital if you are having any of the above symptoms and they do not go away in 5 minutes. It could mean the difference between life and death.

Do not worry about wasting everybody's time, you're not! And your life is more important anyway. Just go.

First Aid Treatment

• Call 911 immediately.
• DO NOT drive yourself or have someone else drive you. Call an ambulance. Ambulances are equipped with AED (automatic external defibrillator) and give you immediate medical help. Have someone else drive you or drive yourself only as a last resort.
• If you have regular strength aspirin or baby aspirin take one tablet and chew it slowly. This gets the aspirin into your blood stream faster.
• If you have angina and your doctor has prescribed nitroglycerin take one. Exact dosage will depend on the form of nitroglycerin.
• If the person loses consciousness and is not breathing begin CPR immediately.