First aid at a heart attack

Myocardial infarction – the medical emergency arising because of an acute disorder of blood supply of a cardiac muscle. This state directly threatens life and therefore demands acceptance of urgent measures of the help in the acute period, and also adequate treatment after its transferring.

Infarction mechanism

Most often the heart attack occurs at the patients of advanced age having coronary heart disease owing to atherosclerosis of coronary vessels. In translation from medical terminology it means that the vessels supplying with blood heart because their gleam is considerably narrowed (as a result of atherosclerosis), do not cope with the duty and do not inform of enough blood the site of a cardiac muscle fed by them. Such state is called coronary heart disease ("ischemia" - in Latin means a lack of blood). When the gleam of a vessel is blocked completely, and blood in general ceases to arrive on it, there is a heart attack. At a heart attack the site fed by the damaged vessel perishes in 30-45 minutes therefore it is important that first aid was given during this time.

Extensiveness of a heart attack is defined by the size of an affected area of a cardiac muscle. The heart attack can be so extensive and be located in such a way that heart cannot perform more the functions, and the person dies. There are, on the contrary, microheart attack cases – when there was a defeat of a small vessel, so small that the person does not even notice the moment when the heart attack occurs, and it is found only accidentally, at inspection in other occasion.

Nevertheless, one and all cases of an acute disorder of blood supply of a cardiac muscle constitute serious danger which cannot be underestimated. The matter is that after the postponed heart attack the affected site of a myocardium is not recovered any more, on its place the hem is formed of fibrous fabric. Sokratitelny ability of a cardiac muscle worsens, so, is irreversible function of heart in general worsens.

Symptoms of a heart attack

As it was told above, the heart attack occurs at the elderly people who already have heart diseases more often. However cases when they of people and do not guess that his heart works with disturbances are frequent, the heart attack can occur even at people of young age. Therefore it is important to know symptoms of a heart attack and to be able to give first aid even if you in an environment have no people belonging to risk group.

So, main symptoms of a heart attack:

1. Heartache of high intensity and duration – from a quarter of hour till several o'clock. Pain is localized behind a breast, but can give to a hand, a shovel, a shoulder, a neck. It differs from a stenocardia attack in the fact that reception of nitroglycerine does not help to stop a pain syndrome;
2. Fear of death. Quite often after the postponed heart attack patients note that this fear has irrational character;
3. Deterioration in the general state: pallor of integuments or on the contrary, unhealthy redness, cold sweat, asthma.

In addition to "classical" symptoms of a heart attack, exist also atypical in which only the specialist can distinguish a heart attack. Nevertheless, they should be known too not to pass danger.

Abdominal heart attack (from a Latin "abdomen" - a stomach) – the heart attack masking under intestinal frustration. Its signs are nausea, vomiting, disturbance of a chair against the background of what quite often pass unnoticed a cardiopalmus, an asthma and weakness.

The asthmatic heart attack – reminds itself asthma attack, at the same time heartaches are absent or are insignificant. The patient chokes, but the drugs which are usually stopping asthma attack do not help him.

The cerebral (brain) heart attack – a state proceeds as a stroke. It is shown by disturbance of the speech, coordination of movements, emergence of an acute headache (as is possible at a stroke).

The mute heart attack – in the general opinion of cardiologists, is the most dangerous form of a heart attack which long does not pay to itself attention as signs of an acute state actually are absent. The patient notes only insignificant deterioration in the general state, it has a short wind and weakness, especially at the movement, but at the same time he, as a rule, continues to lead a usual life. The mute option is dangerous that neither first aid, nor the specialized cardiological help timely appear, meanwhile functioning of heart worsens.

As a rule, in the listed cases the heart attack is found when carrying out the electrocardiogram therefore it is appointed practically always when the patient sees with a serious indisposition a doctor.

First-aid treatment at a heart attack

At suspicion of a heart attack it is necessary to call immediately the ambulance, and it is important to specify to the operator that cardiological help is required – in this case the specialized crew having the necessary equipment at the order is sent.

Further measures for first-aid treatment at a heart attack the following:

1. The patient to lay, provide access of fresh air: to slightly open a window or a window leaf, to weaken hard clothes;
2. To give Tabulettae Nitroglycerini under language. In spite of the fact that at a heart attack nitroglycerine is not able to remove a painful attack, nevertheless drug has medical effect. Attention! – waiting for arrival of ambulance it is possible to give no more than three Tabulettaes Nitroglycerini;
3. To give to the victim a tablet or two aspirin (he is also known as acetylsalicylic acid). Aspirin promotes blood fluidifying, thereby improving blood supply of heart in the conditions of ischemia, besides, it possesses the anesthetizing action. The tablet needs to be chewed – so effect of drug will be shown quicker.

If the patient fainted, and pulse is not probed or became threadlike, it is necessary to start resuscitation immediately:

1. To strike short strong punch to the area of a breast, so-called precardiac blow. In lack of special tools it can execute a role of a defibrillator and start again the stopped heart. The blow should be struck once;
2. If the precardiac blow did not make the necessary impact, to immediately begin to do an indirect cardiac massage, at the same time carrying out artificial ventilation of the lungs by one of methods - a mouth - in - a nose, a mouth - in - a mouth. It is necessary to do it before arrival of ambulance.