When it comes to heart attacks, fast action is a must. Along with preventing potentially life-threatening outcomes, seeking out immediate medical attention can also spare you from significant health effects, including permanent damage.
Contacting emergency medical services is crucial if you experience chest pain, or a sensation of heaviness or pressure within the chest. Heart attacks can also cause dizziness, shortness of breath, sweating, and pain in other areas of the body, including the jaw and neck.
For many people, heart attacks result from blocked arteries, which reduce blood flow to the organ. In addition to stopping the heart from functioning correctly, this lack of blood flow can also cause parts of the heart muscle to die.
It is crucial to restore the proper flow of blood to the heart as soon as possible. Failure to do so can lead to permanent damage to the heart, which will result in worsening health effects. Heart attacks can also lead to death if medical care is not sought immediately.
Upon noticing the warning signs of a heart attack, you must arrange emergency medical assistance as soon as possible. In general, permanent damage will occur if treatment is not received within 90 minutes.
While waiting for emergency medical services to arrive, there are some critical first aid steps to take:
Taking aspirin can also help people experiencing heart attacks, as it can stop blood clots from sticking together. In this case, it is important to chew the aspirin instead of swallowing it, as chewing increases the speed at which the medication enters the bloodstream.