Cardiovascular deaths are one of the leading causes of deaths all over the world. India witnessed the death if 2,873,266 in 2021, due to cardiovascular diseases according to the World Heart Federation. These incidents can happen anywhere and to anyone. This means that the chances of you experiencing a cardiac event alone are also there. So, how does a person deal with it? Can you even realize that you are having a heart attack if you are alone? Is there even a chance you can make it out alive in that situation? Not only can you recognize the signs of a cardiac event alone, but you can also increase your odds of living through it, if you make the right choices. Knowing this critical information can save your life, even if you do not think you will have an experience like this. In a recent post Dr Christabel Akinola, an Academic Family Physician from Canada, gave key aspects of how to survive a heart attack if you are alone. She emphasized that if you're at home alone and feel like you're having a heart attack, you only have a few seconds or minutes to save your life. Knowing what to do immediately is crucial. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr Christabel Akinola | Health | Family | Lifestyle (@drbelswellness)]]>How To Improve Your Odds Of Surviving A Heart Attack A man at his office one Monday suddenly started sweating and feeling dizzy. Then came the tell-tale sign: chest pain or tightness that moved to his left shoulder and jaw. Because his wife was a doctor, he immediately recognized these symptoms as a heart attack. He quickly took specific steps that saved his life: He called a colleague right away to tell them he was having a heart attack and needed help.He chewed a pill immediately.When his colleague arrived, they found him lying down with his legs raised on a table.How To Survive A Heart Attack Before Medical Help Arrives? Dr Akinola explained in the post that the pill he took was aspirin. Taking aspirin during a heart attack is extremely important because it can reduce your risk of death by 25%. Aspirin works by reducing the size of the clot causing the heart attack and improving blood flow. An important point to remember is: Chew the aspirin for faster absorption, it gets into your system more quickly through your mouth than if you swallow it whole. This is an idea backed by one of the leading cardiologists in India, Dr Balbir Singh. In an exclusive interview with Healthandme, Dr Singh explained that if there is a history of cardiovascular diseases in your family, carrying an aspirin can be a lifesaver “Asprin, just a dissolvable disprin (a different form of aspirin that contains the same active ingredient acetylsalicylic acid) you can put it in a glass of water and drink. A 325 mg tablet that can save a life.” Everyone should have low-dose aspirin at home and know how to use it. Make sure your family knows this, too, explained Dr Akinola in the post. Elevating Your Legs: In the above-mentioned case the man learned that raising the legs helps improve blood flow back to the heart. While this is mainly a supportive action, it can help stabilize you until medical help arrives. Other steps you must take along with aspirin and elevated legs are, Call Emergency Services Call emergency services immediately. Put the phone on speakerphone so you can talk while doing the next steps. Use the Coughing Technique (Temporary Help) This technique can temporarily help keep blood moving until help arrives: Take a deep breath to fill your lungs with oxygen.Cough forcefully, as if you're trying to clear your lungs of something. Repeat this cycle every 2 seconds: deep breath and then a strong cough.Stay Calm and Ready Stay as calm and still as possible. Panic releases adrenaline, which makes your heart work harder and worsens the strain. Make sure you also unlock your door and keep your phone close by so rescuers can reach you easily. Dr. Akinola reminds us that the three most life-saving actions are: Taking an aspirin, calling emergency services immediately, and coughing. Sharing this information could save a loved one’s life.
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