Persons who are having a Heart Attack need to get to the hospital as fast as possible to keep the heart damage as low as possible. Did you know that people wait on average about three hours before looking for help when they recognise the symptoms of a heart attack?
How is a heart attack caused?
Heart attacks are caused by a blood clot blocking a coronary artery which often leads to a damaging or dying of the muscle. This also causes that the heart stops beating due to interferences with the electrical activity of the heart.
When the heart stops beating, this is known as “cardiac arrest”.
Damage to the heart muscle is named “heart attack”.
Warning signs of a heart attack
1. The symptoms of a heart attack vary, but the most common is a prolonged oppressive pain hat feels like pressure, squeezing, or fullness or unusual discomfort in the centre of the chest, behind the breastbone.
2. The pain may radiate to the shoulder, arm, neck, or jaw. Sometimes the symptoms may subside and then return.
3. There may also be sweating, weakness, nausea, changes in mental status and shortness of breath.
4. The symptoms can begin slowly and their intensity of the pain can depend on aspects like gender and age.
Treatment
If the above symptoms occur...
• Call the ambulance immediately (telephone: 112 (mobile) or your local emergency number) and say that a cardiac emergency is existent. If unavailable, take the victim to the nearest hospital every minute is important!
• If the casualty is conscious reassure, gently support with pillows, and place in a half-sitting position with knees bent.
• Loosen any tight clothing around the neck, chest and waist.
• Treat for shock, keep the person calm (movement and stress will put extra strain on the heart) and stay around her. Check the pulse rate continuously.
• Only give the person something by mouth unless a heart medication (like nitroglycerin).
• If the person's breathing and heartbeat stop, begin CPR. If a child or an infant is affected, perform one minute of CPR and call 911.
Prevention
• Quit smoking and drinking, both are not good for your body in general and smoking even doubles the chances of a Heart Attack
• Keep an eye on your blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes
• Lose weight if you are overweight
• Live healthy (make exercises and eat healthy)