Sunday, June 19, 2011

First Aid for HEART ATTACK


First aid for heart attack:Heart attack is a very serious matter. As such, it deserves much attention not only from those who are prone to have a sudden attack but also to the friends and family members of people with chronic heart conditions. Since heart attack can catch you by surprise, you should be prepared to counter it so that you can give proper aid to the person who is experiencing the attack. This can be done if you know the basic facts about heart attack as well as the necessary first aid for heart attack.


Before delving into other matters, we must first discuss what heart attack is. Of course, we are all well-acquainted with the term in the sense that we often hear people talking about having an attack. Additionally, we may even have used the term a few times in daily conversations. But even so, do you really know what a heart attack is and what it means? Heart attack, in the most basic of terms, can be explained as the sudden paralysis of the heart. This is due to the loss of blood supply. When you have a heart attack, what typically happens is that you get a blockage in certain areas of your heart. These areas may include your arteries. Heart attack is very complex and may include a variety of symptoms but in most cases, it is commonly recorded as an attack when there is chest pain.

Symptoms to watch out for

If you do not know much about heart attack, you may need to take note of its telltale symptoms. As you keep these in mind, you will easily decipher if the person you are with is indeed having an attack or is experiencing another episode of a different illness. 

1. The first thing you should watch out for is chest pain. The chest pain experienced by victims of heart attack varies. These variations may include chest pain that is focused on the center of the chest. A pain in the chest area that is characterized by a thorough pressure or a more concentrated pain in other body parts. 
2. Sweating and panting heavily
3. Nausea or vomiting or both
4. Heavy breathing

First Aid for Heart Attack

Now that you have inkling as to what heart attack is, you can start finding out the means by which you can help a person who is suffering from a sudden attack. Here is a simple list of first aid for heart attack victims:

1. Ask the person who had an attack to be calm. If he or she is already at a stage of calmness, that same person should be able to sustain that for a longer period. Allowing the person who had an attack to sit upright may also help.
2. In case the person who had an attack is wearing tight clothes, free him or her from it. Loose clothing, especially around the neck area, can help even out the patient's breathing. This would also help him or her to be in a more stabilized state.
3. Try to talk to the person who had an attack. Make inquiries about his or her medications. Ask about other medical precautions as well, if any. Meanwhile, knowing about his or her overall health condition may also help determine what your next step should be.
4. If the person who had the attack is unconscious, immediately call 911. 
5. An important part of heart attack first aid is conducting CPR. However, if you are not trained to do it, you might ask other people to do it, instead. If there is nobody else available, call a doctor and get specific instructions while waiting for the aid of the 911 crew.

Focusing on the Don'ts

In light of giving first aid treatment, you should also take note of the things that you should not do in case heart attack emergencies arise. Otherwise, the condition of the patient just might get worse. 

1. Make it a point to stay with the victim. Do not leave his or her side even if you get anxious while waiting for help.
2. Do not wait for the symptoms to be more manageable because chances are, it will not be that way. In fact, if an attack is already occurring, the heart attack itself might worsen and become more severe. In such cases, death may be the consequence.
3. Do not give the person who had the attack anything to ingest by mouth. If the victim chokes on what you give, his or her condition is likely to worsen. Additionally, it may cause the symptoms of heart attack to worsen at the same time. 

Heart attack is truly complicated and life-threatening. This is why people with this condition or who those who are susceptible to having it should be wary and cautious with their lifestyles. If you have a history of chronic heart conditions and you want to stay clear of heart attack, you can do several things to ensure your health and wellness. These simple steps are indeed very basic but they can go a long way if you take them seriously and make them a part of your way of life:

1. Do not smoke. If you are a smoker, make an effort to quit that vice.
2. Do not be overweight and obese. Do what is necessary to manage your weight
3. Do not eat fatty foods and stay away from a stressful life to keep your blood pressure at a normal range
4. Avoid alcoholic beverages or limit your consumption of it until you get it out of your system
5. Exercise to keep your heart in a good condition

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