First aid step when a heart attack occurs

You may think that heart attacks only occur in times of extreme stress or strenuous activity. In fact, if there is a blockage in the blood vessels, which is one of the main causes of heart attacks, this condition can affect anyone, anywhere, anytime. It is important to prepare yourself for handling a heart attack on yourself and in others. Then, how do you do it? Check out the full explanation below.

Typical symptoms of a heart attack

Before you learn what ways you can deal with a heart attack, it's good to know what are the typical symptoms of a heart attack that may appear. Many people are not sure what happens when they experience heart attack symptoms.

The following are some of the most common symptoms of a heart attack, namely:

• Chest pain.
• Discomfort in the upper body, such as in the shoulders, neck, and jaw.
• Hard to breathe.

Other symptoms that may occur include:

• Break out in a cold sweat
• Feeling unusually tired for no reason, sometimes lasting for days (especially for women)
• Nausea (stomach pain) and vomiting
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• There are new, sudden, or patterned changes to symptoms you already have (for example, if symptoms are stronger or longer than usual)

Not all heart attacks start suddenly, or are like the chest pain you see on television or in movies. The reason is, the symptoms of a heart attack vary from person to person. Some people can have several symptoms and be surprised to find that they have had a heart attack.

If you've had a heart attack before, you may not have the same symptoms later in the day. Therefore, it is important to understand how to deal with the various symptoms of a heart attack.

First aid heart attack on yourself

You certainly don't expect to have a heart attack on your own, but you need to be prepared for all the possibilities. The ways you need to learn to deal with a heart attack don't just apply to other people, but also to yourself. Here are some things you need to do if you have a heart attack and need to treat yourself before recovering from a heart attack.

1. Contact the ER from the nearest hospital

When you have symptoms of a heart attack, never underestimate it, either alone or with other people. The first way to deal with a heart attack when you are alone is to immediately call the emergency number or the Emergency Unit (UGD) at the nearest hospital.

If you cannot reach the nearest hospital, contact a neighbor, or close friend who can drive you to the hospital as soon as possible. Avoid driving alone as a treatment for heart attack on yourself. The reason is, it can actually endanger your life and that of others.

2. Taking aspirin

One of the main causes of a heart attack is a blockage in the arteries in the heart that occurs as a result of a blood clot that forms. Therefore, what you can do to treat a heart attack yourself is to take aspirin.

The reason is, aspirin is a drug that is included in the anti-platelet class. This heart attack medication can also prevent blood clots from forming by preventing the blood clots from sticking to one another.

Usually, when you contact the nearest hospital, you will be asked to take aspirin first until the ambulance from the hospital comes to pick you up. This method will make it easier for medical professionals to deal with a heart attack on you, after trying to deal with it alone.

3. Taking nitroglycerin

As with aspirin, this drug can also be an alternative way that you can choose to treat a heart attack on yourself. However, you should only take them if they have been prescribed by your doctor.

This means you may have had a heart attack before, and feel like you're having another heart attack. At that time, you may take nitroglycerin as first aid for a heart attack.

This drug is useful for relieving angina caused by heart attacks. Although it is one alternative way you can try to treat a heart attack on yourself, do not take this medication if your doctor has never prescribed it for you.

However, you must believe that you are having a heart attack, yes. The reason is, there are people who do not understand the difference between heart attack and chest pain heartburn and mishandling.

4. Loosening the clothes worn

When your chest hurts, you may be experiencing one of the symptoms of a heart attack. Therefore, one way to deal with a heart attack on yourself, such as loosening clothes.

Yes, it could be that the clothes you are wearing make your chest hurt and cause shortness of breath. So that your chest doesn't feel even more tight, the first thing you can do is loosen the clothes you are wearing.

Especially if the clothes you are wearing are uncomfortable and make your body feel like you are depressed. It could be that your shortness of breath is exacerbated by clothes that are too tight or too suffocating.

5. Avoid panic

Panic will only make your condition worse. So, try to stay calm while trying to handle a heart attack on yourself. Immediately call the nearest hospital and wait for the arrival of a medical professional or ambulance with a feeling of calm.

Trust yourself that all will be well. If you panic so much that you feel stressed, it's no wonder that your heart attack is getting worse.

6. Wait at the door of the house

Another possible but important way to deal with a heart attack on yourself is to wait at the right place. Yes, while waiting for the medical expert who is on the way to pick you up, wait at your doorstep.

This will make it easier for medical professionals to find you. The reason is, you could have already passed out in the house so that the medical experts who came to pick you up were difficult to help you. It will also slow down the process of treating a heart attack.

Providing first aid to heart attack patients

Meanwhile, as previously mentioned, first aid in heart attacks can also be done to other people. Given that a heart attack can happen anywhere, anytime, and to anyone, you need to understand what ways you can deal with a heart attack in other people.

You don't need to panic if you are faced with a situation like this. Most importantly, don't delay getting emergency medical help and wait until your heart attack symptoms subside. Even then, you are still not sure that it is a heart attack.

The thing is, heart attack symptoms can easily be mistaken for other conditions, particularly heart attack symptoms in women. One of them is a heart attack which is often mistaken for a panic attack. Therefore it is also important to know the difference between a heart attack and a panic attack. However, once again, never delay to check with your doctor.

Taking measures such as providing first aid to deal with a heart attack as quickly as possible can make a big difference between a person's life and death. A person's chances of survival are three times greater if he / she receives first aid for an effective heart attack within 30 minutes to an hour of the starting point of the heart attack.

Please provide immediate assistance in the order below:

1. Call an ambulance

As with how to deal with a heart attack on yourself, an article published in the Mayo Clinic states that contacting the nearest hospital is also one of the first aid you can give to heart attack patients. This is because timing is an important factor when you are dealing with a heart attack.

The very first and best thing you should do is call an emergency ambulance (119). Make it clear that you are with the person having a heart attack. Don't leave victims alone to look for their prescription drugs. The reason is, this can cause you to delay calling for medical help.

Trying to get a heart attack patient to the hospital on your own is not a wise way if you want to help manage the condition. The traffic situation and hospital administrative bureaucracy will prevent patients from getting medical help. Meanwhile, when he was picked up by an ambulance, during the trip the patient received treatment for a heart attack.

If the patient is unresponsive or unconscious, the medical professional who is in the ambulance can instruct you to perform emergency assistance. For example, giving emergency hand-held CPR.

Until the ambulance arrives, another way to deal with a heart attack can also be done by guiding the patient to sit down and calm down. Make him as comfortable as possible, in a half-sitting position with your head and shoulders back, also bending his knees. This is done to release tension from the heart. Loosen clothes around the neck, chest, and waist.

2. Give aspirin

If the heart attack patient is fully conscious, give the full 300 mg aspirin tablet (if available and if the patient is not allergic) until an ambulance arrives as an alternative. Ask the patient to chew the tablet slowly, do not swallow it immediately. Chewing an aspirin will help the drug get into the bloodstream more quickly.

However, before giving aspirin to a patient, make sure that what you are giving is real aspirin and not a derivative. For example, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or other pain relievers. Aspirin in its original form is a very effective blood thinner.

If the patient is unresponsive, do not put any medication in his mouth, except for a prescription heart disease. If the person has been prescribed nitroglycerin in the past for heart disease or angina, and medications are within reach, you can give their personal dose.

If you, a family member, or a close relative is at risk of a heart attack, experts recommend that you always keep a supply of aspirin tablets in your purse or wallet in case a heart attack may occur.

3. Monitor the patient

Always check breathing, detect pulse normality and patient response rate. Be aware that a person with a heart attack can go into shock. Not necessarily emotional shock, but rather life-threatening physical shock, which can be caused by a heart attack.

If the AED (automated external defibrillator) attached to the patient, keep the engine running at all times and keep the bearings attached to the patient's body even after he recovers.

If the patient loses consciousness, open their airway, check their breathing, and prepare to handle someone who is unresponsive. You may need to do CPR (Cardiac Resuscitation) or cardiac massage.

However, maintaining health by adopting a healthy lifestyle to prevent heart attacks is better than having to treat it. Therefore, always take your family to exercise and adopt a healthy diet so you don't become obese. The reason is, obesity increases the risk of heart attack.

4. Provide CPR

One way that can also be done to deal with heart attacks in other people is to provide Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) or CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). As previously mentioned, this method is usually also recommended by the medical officer or health professional from the hospital you contact.

However, before doing this method of dealing with a heart attack, you need to be sure first that you can do it. Don't force yourself to do CPR if you are not sure you can do it. Only do this if you are trained in doing CPR. You can squeeze the patient's chest 100-120 times in one minute.

The medical professional you contact may be able to help by giving appropriate instructions so that you can do one of these ways to deal with a heart attack in another person. Therefore, there is nothing wrong if you undergo training to provide CPR so that you can provide first aid to other people who have a heart attack.

Things to avoid when a heart attack occurs

In addition to learning the right ways to deal with a heart attack on yourself and in others, you also need to know about things to avoid. Don't do the following when trying to treat someone else's heart attack:

• Don't leave the sufferer alone, other than to ask for help, if needed.
• Don't let the victim ignore the symptoms and tell you not to call for help.
• Don't wait for the symptoms to disappear.
• Do not give anything to the sufferer by mouth, other than the necessary medication.

Your alertness can determine a person's life. As already stated, heart attack is a disease that can occur anytime and anywhere. If handled too late, the consequences will be fatal. For that to understand all the information that has been presented in this article regarding various ways to deal with a heart attack.

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