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Here's How To Survive A Heart Attack If You're Alone

Here's How To Survive A Heart Attack If You're Alone

Survive A Heart Attack If You're Alone

Sudden and unexpected, a heart attack can happen at any moment. Imagine the following scene: you come home from work, you are alone at home. The day was long, so you are tired and decide to settle down and rest in your chair. You suddenly feel irregular beats as well as more and more acute pains in your chest. What should be done ?

It is vital to know the reactions to have during a heart attack, especially for yourself in case you are alone. These gestures can also be applied to save the life of a loved one or a stranger in the street.

What is infarction?

An infarction, or more commonly heart attack, is the result of blocking the blood circulation in a coronary artery by blood clot. This interruption can damage or even destroy part of the heart muscle.

In some cases, infarction, also known as myocardial infarction, is fatal. Indeed, the major problem is that its symptoms are often confused with those of other benign diseases which greatly delays the treatment.

Risk factors for an infarction

There are several risk factors contributing to fatty deposits that narrow the arteries of your heart and body. Improving or eliminating many of these factors will reduce your risk of succumbing to a heart attack.

The major factors are:

Age: People over the age of 45 are more likely to have a heart attack.

Tobacco and drugs: Smoking causes damage to the internal walls of the arteries and increases the risk of blood clots. Also, the consumption of certain drugs can trigger a spasm of the coronary arteries and therefore, a heart attack.

Diabetes: In this case, the body is unable to produce insulin normally. This allows your body to use glucose. Diabetes therefore greatly increases the risk of infarction.

High Cholesterol: Cholesterol is a fatty substance. Its deposits are likely to narrow the arteries of the body.

Obesity: It increases the risk of heart disease.

Stress: Stress can increase your blood pressure and therefore, the risk of infarction.

In order to prevent an infarction, a healthy lifestyle can control the risk factors contributing to the narrowing of the coronary arteries.

Symptoms

You should know that the symptoms can vary from one person to another. In some cases, the person does not have one. But the more you will see the following signs, the greater the risk that you are suffering from a heart attack.

Here are the most common symptoms:
  • Sensation of oppression or pain in the center of the chest;
  • The pain may extend beyond your chest (shoulder, arms, back)
  • Prolonged pain in the upper abdomen
  • Shortness of breath, sweating
  • Fainting
  • Nausea and vomiting

Sometimes women may have more symptoms than those previously mentioned:
  • Stomach pains
  • Moist skin
  • dizziness
  • Unusual fatigue.
  • Gestures to adopt

By taking these symptoms into account, if you feel your heart beating fast and irregularly and you start to feel bad, you have 10 seconds before losing consciousness and so, 10 seconds to react in order to avoid the disaster.

Here are the gestures to realize absolutely to save your life:

First call the emergencies. Then, to avoid fainting, begin to cough vigorously and repeatedly. Take a deep breath before you cough. Then cough deeply and long, as if you wanted to get rid of your mucus that clog your airways. Repeat these two gestures every two seconds until emergency calls arrive. These great inspirations will allow oxygen to circulate through your lungs as the movements generated by your cough will squeeze your heart and prevent your blood circulation from stopping.

These actions can help victims of heart attacks receive adequate care before it is too late.