What Do You Do When You Have a Heart Attack?
Author: Stephen Lau

Heart attacks occur when your heart fails to pump oxygen to
some part of your heart due to blockage in one or more of
the coronary arteries.

Approximately 1.5 million Americans suffer a first or
recurrent heart attack every year, and of this number
almost half a million do not survive. Occasionally, a heart
attack may kill an individual outright with no "warning"
signs at all. However, in most cases, heart attack survival
depends on what is done before, during, and after a heart
attack. Heart attack survival is important.

Knowledge is empowering. It is important for you to know
and remember the heart attack warning signs. These heart
attack symptoms include: chest pain or uncomfortable
pressure in the center of the chest that lasts more than a
few minutes. This feeling of weakness or even discomfort
like indigestion, often accompanied by lightheadedness,
nausea, or shortness of breath, may disappear and then come
back, lasting more than half an hour. You may or may not
lose your consciousness when you have an attack.

Heart attacks may occur anywhere and at any time - whether
you are at rest or engaged in an activity.

Be knowledgeable about heart attack survival. The most
important thing to remember is: time is of essence. Do not
downplay or deny your heart attack warning signs. Do not
make excuses for your heart attack symptoms. Yes, these
warning signs and symptoms are diverse and may not be
definitive. However, it is better to err on the wrong side
than to deprive yourself the opportunity of survival.
Embarrassment at the thought of inconveniencing others,
coupled with fear, usually results in dangerous denial and
indecision, which may cost life.

Before an attack, you should devise and memorize a plan in
case you are confronted with one. Such a heart attack
survival plan includes: the name of the hospital with
24-hour emergency cardiac care nearest to your home; the
names of people you should call for help; and the telephone
number of the emergency rescue service.

When you think you are having or going to have an attack,
take two aspirins immediately. In order to make them more
effective, pulverize or chew them, and then drink a glass
of water for faster absorption. Given that aspirin is a
blood thinner, it may restore blood flow immediately
through some clogged arteries, thereby instrumental in
delaying heart muscle damage as well as buying you time to
get to the hospital to get other heart-saving treatments.

After an attack, you may be transferred to the cardiac care
unit after being stabilized in the Emergency Room. You will
be closely monitored to prevent another attack.

After heart attack survival, your heart has to repair
itself, replacing the dead tissue (a result of heart muscle
damage) with scar tissue (tissue that has been damaged can
never be replaced). After an attack, your heart has to
adapt to using less heart muscle to do the pumping of
blood. Recovery is slow and such adaptation may take
several weeks. During the recovery phase, you may feel
depressed and distressed with emotional feelings of anger,
anxiety, fear, or hopelessness. To speed up the
rehabilitation process, it is important that you do some
soul-searching, and make a commitment to change your
lifestyle. Self-reflection promotes positive lifestyle
changes. Now that you have been given a "second chance at
life", make the best and the most of it. Do all you can to
prevent future attacks.


About the Author:

For more information on the wisdom of healthy living, go to
Stephen Lau's website: The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
(http://www.healthylivinghealthylifestyle.com). Stephen Lau
is a writer and researcher with books and websites on
health, Chinese healing, mental depression, eating
disorders, golf, and money matters. Visit his web page:
Heart Health to find out how you can take care of your
heart.