Do you know how to survive a heart attack if you’re alone? This could mean the difference between life or death.
If you’re alone when you have a heart attack, your chances of survival are lower. This being said, there are certain steps you can take to increase your chances of making it through a heart attack when alone.
In this post, we’ll talk about what to do if you have a heart attack and how to improve your odds of surviving.
What To Do When a Heart Attack Occurs
When a heart attack occurs, it’s important to act quickly and get medical attention. Every minute counts when it comes to a heart attack. Even if you are physically active, you may not have time to wait for an ambulance to arrive before you start feeling the effects of the attack. Can you survive a heart attack alone? Yes, you can. But your outcome will be contingent on your response.
Here are tips on how to survive a heart attack if you’re alone:
Call for Emergency Help
First, it’s best to start by calling emergency services. When you call 911, follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Even if you don’t think it’s a heart attack, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and seek medical help right away.
Take an Aspirin While Waiting for Medical Help To Arrive
Aspirin is a blood thinner that can help to prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries. This can help to improve blood flow and reduce the severity of a heart attack.
It’s important to chew the aspirin before you swallow it. This can make it work faster.
Lie Down and Stay Calm
Once you have taken the aspirin, it’s essential to sit down and rest. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, lie down on your left side with your knees bent. This helps to improve blood flow to your heart.
Try to call someone to stay with you until the ambulance arrives. They can do wonders to keep you calm and provide much-needed reassurance.
In the meantime, continue taking deep breaths and relax as much as possible. It may be difficult but try not to panic. Remember that help is on the way, and you need to focus on taking care of yourself until it arrives.
What Not To Do
When you have a heart attack, it is also essential to know what not to do to ensure that you receive the best possible care and have the best chance of recovery. Here are three things you should avoid doing if you suspect that you are having a heart attack:
Do Not Rely on Just Taking Nitroglycerin
Do not rely on just taking nitroglycerin when you have a heart attack. This is because nitroglycerin only relieves the symptoms of heart attack and does not stop a heart attack.
Do Not Cough Repeatedly
It is imperative not to cough repeatedly when you are under cardiac arrest. This can make your condition worse and cause more damage to your heart. Coughing constantly can also lead to other complications such as pneumonia. If you are having a heart attack, sit down and take slow, deep breaths. Try to relax as much as possible and focus on your breathing. If you need to cough, do so gently and slowly. Avoid coughing forcefully or repeatedly.
Do Not Apply Pressure on the Chest
Applying pressure on the chest can worsen the situation by compressing the heart and making it harder to pump blood. Additionally, it can cause you to vomit, which can then lead to an increased risk of aspirating vomit into your lungs and further complicating the situation.
Common Symptoms of a Heart Attack
A heart attack can come on suddenly and without the typical warning signs of a heart attack, or it may develop slowly over time from heart disease. The symptoms of a heart attack vary depending on the individual, but they typically include chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and lightheadedness.
The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain or discomfort. This pain may feel like a squeezing sensation, or it may be more of an ache. It may also radiate to your jaw, neck, arms, or back. Shortness of breath is another common symptom, as is feeling lightheaded or dizzy. You may also feel nauseous or vomit.
There are several risk factors for developing a heart attack, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history. If you have any of these risk factors, it’s essential to see your doctor for regular checkups and discuss ways to reduce your risk.
Heart attacks are a severe medical emergency. If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 911 immediately. With prompt treatment, many people experiencing a heart attack go on to make a full recovery.
Getting Aftercare With Flow Therapy
In conclusion, knowing the symptoms of a heart attack and how to survive a heart attack when alone can save your life. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please don’t hesitate to call for emergency help. Remember to stay calm and lie down until medical assistance arrives.
If you’ve suffered from a heart attack recently and you’re still experiencing discomfort, Flow Therapy might be able to help.
Flow therapy in a non-invasive, outpatient procedure that can help reduce or even eliminate angina (chest discomfort or pain that occurs when your heart muscle isn’t getting enough oxygen-rich blood). It can also help to increase your energy and stamina and improve your overall quality of life.
If you have had a heart attack, talk to your doctor about whether Flow Therapy may be right for you. Or, check out our additional resources on Flow Therapy and how it works.
