What if you are travelling and the person accompanying you or the person sitting next to you in the bus suddenly collapses from a heart attack? In such a situation you cannot leave the person in pain. You will want to help him. But to help him you should yourself be aware of the first aid to be provided to a person suffering from a heart attack. This article gives you some basic points to be remembered if such a situation arises.

Heart Attack Symptoms

A heart attack generally causes chest pain for more than 15 minutes, but it can also be silent and have no symptoms at all. Someone having an attack may experience any or all of the following:

• Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing pain in the centre of the chest
• The pain might last several minutes or come and go. It may be triggered by exertion and relieved by rest
• Prolonged pain in the upper abdomen
• Discomfort or pain spreading beyond the chest to the shoulders, neck, jaw, teeth, or one or both arms
• Shortness of breath
• Light-headedness, dizziness, fainting
• Sweating
• Nausea

The First Aid to be Provided to a Person with Heart Attack

• The person must be made to sit down and be calmed
• The doctor treating the person should be informed immediately
• A hospital or ambulance service should be informed to rush the person to the nearest hospital
• If the clothing is tight, it should be loosened
• It is important to find out whether the person is a known heart patient and if the doctor has prescribed any medication to be given if in case the person has a chest pain or heart attack. The medicine should be given immediately. This medicine is usually given sublingually (placed under the tongue)
• The pain should subside within three minutes of taking the medicine. If it does not, then probability of a heart attack is high
• If the person is unconscious and unresponsive, CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) should be performed

What is CPR?

CPR stands for Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. It is an emergency procedure performed on people suffering cardiac arrest to provide a continuous flow of oxygen to the lungs and brain until the person regains consciousness. It is important to remember that CPR alone is rarely enough for a person to survive. The true purpose of CPR is to keep the heart pumping and the oxygen flowing until emergency care arrives.

Steps in CPR:

• Place victim flat on his/her back on a hard surface
• Open victim’s airway by tilting the head back with one hand, while lifting up the chin with your other hand
• Feel inside the mouth with a finger to see if there is anything blocking it or the windpipe and remove any food or other objects
• Position your cheek close to victim’s nose and mouth, look toward victim’s chest, and listen, and feel for breathing (5-10 seconds)
• If there are no signs of breathing, pinch victim’s nose closed and give 2 full breaths into victim’s mouth
• Check to see if the chest rises as you breathe into the patient. Repeat this procedure until help arrives or the person starts breathing again
• Check for carotid pulse by feeling for 5-10 seconds at side of victim’s neck. If there is no pulse, begin chest compressions
• Perform 15 compressions to every 2 breaths (Rate: 80-100 per minute)
• Check for return of pulse every minute
• Continue this procedure uninterrupted until medical emergency help arrives
• Make sure the patient continues breathing and has a pulse until the ambulance arrives
• If you succeed in resuscitating the person who has been taken ill, he or she may be confused and alarmed by all the commotion. Keep the patient warm and calm and inform them what has happened

Always Remember

• Never leave the person alone except to call for help, if necessary
• Never allow the person to deny the symptoms and convince you not to call for emergency help
• Never wait to see if the symptoms go away
• Never give the person anything by mouth unless a heart medication has been prescribed