What to do in case of suspected heart attack ?
Give the patient a Disprin tablet to chew and rush him to nearest hospital.Clot busting drugs and other artery opening treatments (coronary angiography and angioplasty)work best to stop a heart attack when given orally.
Information About Heart Attack
About Heart Attack - Heart disease is the top killer of men and women.
Know the warning signs of Heart Attack :
- Discomfort or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes.
- It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain, discomfort in the arm(s), back, neck, jaw, or stomach, shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.
- Women's most common symptoms are chest discomfort and jaw pain, but women are somewhat more likely than men to experience shortness of breath,nausea/ vomiting, and jaw pain.
- Uncertainty is normal Heart attacks are not always sudden and intense. Many start slowly, with only mild pain or discomfort. You may not be sure what's wrong - even if you' ve had a heart attack before. Each heart attack can have different signs.
- Don' t delay Call your doctor. Minutes matter! If you begin to experience chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the signs of a heart attack, call your doctor/hospital .
- Treatments can STOP a heart attack in its tracks Clot-busting drugs and other artery-opening treatments work best to stop a heart attack when given early.
- Plan ahead Learn the warning signs. Talk with family and friends about the warning signs and the need to call the doctor quickly. Talk with your health care provider about factors that increase your chance of having a heart attack - and how to reduce your risk.
- Sometimes Heart Attack may present with atypical symptoms like nausea,vomiting,heart-burn, hence may be mistaken for symptoms of acidity,GERD.
- Diabetics may have a painless heart attack.
What are your risk factors ?
To find your risk for a heart attack, check the boxes that apply to you:
- A family history of early heart disease (Father or brother diagnosed before age 55; Mother or sister diagnosed before age 65)
- Increasing age
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- One or more previous heart attacks, angina, bypass surgery or angioplasty, stroke, or blockages in the neck or leg arteries
- Overweight
- Physical inactivity
- Cigarette smoking
The more risk factors you have, the greater your risk for a heart attack.
Seven key steps to reduce heart attack
Taking these steps will reduce your risk of having a heart attack:
- Lower high blood pressure
- Reduce high blood cholesterol
- Manage diabetes
- Stop smoking
- Aim for a healthy weight
- Be physically active each day
- Eat a low fat, low cholesterol diet
