A heart attack can happen without warning, and being alone can make the situation especially frightening. Knowing what to do before an emergency happens may save valuable time when every minute matters.
A heart attack usually occurs when blood flow through an artery supplying the heart becomes suddenly blocked. Without enough oxygen-rich blood, part of the heart muscle begins to suffer damage and can start to die.
The most familiar warning sign is chest discomfort. It may feel like pressure, squeezing, heaviness, fullness or pain, and it can sometimes spread to the arms, shoulders, back, neck, jaw or upper stomach.
Other symptoms can include shortness of breath, cold sweating, nausea, dizziness or unusual weakness. Symptoms are not always dramatic, and some people, including women and older adults, may experience less typical warning signs.
If you think you are having a heart attack while alone, the most important action is to call emergency medical services immediately. Do not wait to see whether the symptoms disappear, because faster treatment can limit heart damage and improve the chance of survival.
In Australia, the emergency number is Triple Zero (000). If speaking or moving is difficult, a phone’s emergency calling or voice-control feature may help you contact emergency services.
After calling, follow the emergency operator’s instructions. Sit or rest somewhere safe, avoid unnecessary physical activity and, if possible, unlock the door so paramedics can reach you quickly.
Do not drive yourself to hospital if an ambulance is available. A heart attack can suddenly cause a dangerous heart rhythm or loss of consciousness, while paramedics can assess you and begin emergency care on the way to hospital.
Aspirin may be recommended in some suspected heart attacks because it reduces the ability of blood cells to form or enlarge a clot. However, it is not safe for everyone, including some people with an aspirin allergy or a serious bleeding risk.
For this reason, it is safest to call emergency services first and follow their advice about aspirin. If emergency professionals advise taking it, chewing aspirin allows it to be absorbed more quickly than swallowing it whole.
People who have been prescribed nitroglycerin for chest pain should use it exactly as their doctor has instructed. Taking someone else’s heart medicine or trying unproven methods to stop a heart attack can delay effective treatment and may be dangerous.
It is also important not to rely on so-called “cough CPR,” deliberately coughing repeatedly in an attempt to keep the heart beating. Major heart organizations do not recommend this as a general response to a suspected heart attack, and it should never replace calling for emergency help.
Doctors sometimes emphasize how important the early period after symptoms begin can be. Modern heart attack treatments can restore blood flow to a blocked artery, but their ability to protect heart muscle is generally greater when treatment begins quickly.
At the hospital, doctors may perform an electrocardiogram and blood tests to determine whether a heart attack is occurring. Some patients need an urgent procedure called angioplasty, in which doctors open the blocked artery and often place a small stent to keep blood flowing.
Emergency guidance from organizations such as the American Heart Association emphasizes calling emergency medical services immediately when heart attack symptoms are suspected.
Clinical recommendations on heart attack care and emergency treatment have also been published in peer-reviewed journals including Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Being prepared is simple but valuable. Know the warning signs, keep your phone accessible and remember that when a possible heart attack occurs, getting professional emergency help quickly is far more important than trying to manage the situation alone.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease, and coconut sugar could help reduce artery stiffness.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that Vitamin D deficiency can increase heart disease risk, and results showing vitamin B6 linked to lower death risk in heart disease.
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