Heart Attack?!? What To Do Until Help Arrives

I know my blogs have always pertained to the home owner and real estate topics, however I received a slide show via email this week about heart attacks and I thought the information was too valuable not to share. According to an article published in N.0 240 of the Journal of General Hospital Rochester, the majority of people suffering a heart attack will be alone at the initial onset. The following information tells you what you should do until help arrives.

If you are experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your jaw and into your arm, you may be experiencing a heart attack. When your heart is beating irregularly and begin to feel faint, you may only have about 10 seconds before you lose consciousness.

Until help arrives, do not panic! Start coughing vigorously and repeatedly, taking deep breaths before each cough. The cough must be deep and prolonged, just like the coughs we use clear our lungs when congested with phlegm. Repeat the breath and cough approx. every 2 seconds without let-up until paramedics are on scene or the heart appears to be beating normally.

The deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and the coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood flowing. The squeeze pressure on the heart also helps to regain normal rhythm.

Hopefully we will never have to use this, but if we do, I hope it helped save a life!