Stroke + Heart Attack LIFESAVER Actions -

Heart Attack  -  how  i  survived a heart attack  when  alone

Classical symptoms of a heart attack include:

Severe chest pain (like squeezing, or a heaviness, or pressing) at the central or left part of the chest, lasting usually for at least 20 min. The pain may also radiate to the left upper arm, neck or jaw. The pain may feel like a heavy weight on your chest, a squeezing or tightness around the chest, or indigestion/heartburn. Mild chest pain or discomfort in the chest, rather than sudden, crushing pain, is the most common symptom of a heart attack. however, many people, in fact, have a heart attack with little to no chest pain. Symptoms can be quite different from person to person, may appear in mild or severe forms, and may appear and recede and reappear over several hours. Some people can suffer a heart attack after showing only mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all

Other two prominent sign are

·         Profuse sweating and a feeling of impending doom.

·         shortness of breath, nausea,

WHY HEART ATTACK OCCURES::

Most cases of heart attack are caused by a blood clot forming in one of the blood vessels responsible for supplying blood to the heart. The resulting blockage deprives the heart of oxygen-rich blood, causing damage to the heart muscle, which progressively dies. 

Taking an aspirin – the most commonly taken blood thinning medication in the world – during a heart attack improves survival. Taking an aspirin during a heart attack may help as it prevents the clot from getting bigger, giving the body a chance to break down the blood clot. It's always a good idea to keep yourself prepared for a heart attack even if you yourself have no heart issues. A single (80 mg) aspirin can mean the difference between life and death for many people and an aspirin takes up very little space in your wallet or purse.

Nitroglycerin (SORBITRATE TABLET) has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or improve survival substantially during an attack. It is more useful for patients with angina, an altogether different condition where patients experience chest pain or discomfort when exerting themselves.”

Angina results from an imbalance in the supply and demand for blood to the heart, but it is due to a narrowed blood vessel and not to a clot that needs to be broken down. Taking nitroglycerin during such a situation may temporarily expand the narrowed blood vessel and relieve discomfort.

Should you experience a heart attack – regardless of whether you’re alone or in the presence of others – the very first thing to do is to go to  the hospital, ask somebody  to  drive  you  there. You need specialized treatment to be delivered to you as quickly as possible in order to save your heart muscle.

Just know that aspirin and staying calm can and will save your life DONT PANIC

FIRST HOUR IS THE GOLDEN HOUR:

About half of heart attack deaths occur in the first hour, before the victim reaches a hospital.^[3] Thus, if you experience a heart attack, it is essential to act quickly in order to maximize your chances of survival. Instead of waiting for the ambulance, go to hospital yourself. Taking aspirin/sorbitrate within the first five minutes of a heart attack, and receiving medical attention within the first hour, can mean the difference between life and death

MY HEART  ATTACK (19.04.2010.)

My wife has gone out to pickup  my  kids from  school bus stop.

No one is  at  home.

I was working on my computer since 9 Morning at my home office. Its about 1230 noon  time. Suddenly I fell down to the left side in the flloor from  the chair without  any warning.

There was a fullness  and  heavyness in  the heart  area and breathlessness, perspiration on forehead and hands.. I  went  to  the  nearby bedroom and lie down on  the  bed.

And I  took one sorbitrate tablet under the tongue.. And I called my family doctor s.k.chuahan. He told  me  to immediately go to hospital   and  take two more  sorbitrate at 5  minutes interval.

I tried  my wifes  mobile,  but she  has not picked up phone. Than I  called sayeed  bhai over mobile and asked  him to  come  immediately to under my home balcony .Told  him that I have to  go  to  hospital  immediately as  I feared something is  wrong..

I called my  neighbor nafis bhai  over phone to come immediately  with  his  son as I know  that I  cant  walk down the  stairs  from the third floor flat where I stay. They will  have  to carry  me down to  the  car.

By  that  time my  wife arrived with my son. I told  her to  drop  the car keys to sayeed bhai who  is standing below  our  balcony. I asked  sayeed  bhai over  phone to start my car and with the help of  nafis  bhai and his  son  I came down from  my third floor flat.

Sayeed bhai was nervous while driving the car.  I told him not to worry. I asked him  to take me to the  hospital gate through which only ambulance is allowed,  I know  where that gate is.Because i surveyed that gate before. I knew someday i may have this  problem.

Sayeed bhai  took me ,wife  and son to emergency gate of Escorts heart Institute, New Delhi  which is  just 15  minutes away  from my home.

IN  EMERGENCY ROOM:  Once inside emergency room , I  stopped  thinking myself and the doctors  took over.  They immediately gave me one handful of tablets of aspirin.

Than they  took me  to  the heart  center. While going, I saw my wife and  son in the verandah from my bed. I will  never  forget  the expression on  their faces. I asked  my wife to call my parents.

In the  heart  center, they  gave me emergency care to  recover me. I heard the nurse say "do something doctor, patient is slipping and in great pain".I looked towards my ECG monitor, i know whats happening and than I  just closed my eyes and started praying to Allah.. I heard the  attending doctor to  order a nurse to  push an emergency injection  and told  the nurses to count  to ten  and said I will come back. The nurses finally said I stabilized. Shilling experience of  life.

Than the main doctor Nishit Chandra came and told me that they will go for stenting one day later. They  cant do it immediately  as they have used an emergency injection. I said okay, do as you feel proper.

IN  HEART  CENTER: Before my coronary angiogram (20.04.2010.)

I was allotted a female nurse who stand s  near  me, never sits. They change duties but never leave me alone. I  have a bell also in the bed. With  oxygen mask and all the gadgets,  I cant talk. Just signal.

These people are very professional and very careful about human dignity, I loved this very much at the hospital. 


OPERATING ROOM (21.04.2010.)  MORNING

When they are taking me to the operation  room, I  saw my mother  ,brother  toufique and brother in law rajib who came all the way from Guwahati, Assam. I  told my mother that I will  be okay insha allah, dont worry. She caressed my hairs and did not say anything.  My  father already  had open heart surgery long time back, so  she is calm, but my wife , I can never forget her crying face all  my life.

The room is kept at a cool temperature because of the hi-tech equipment, television screens and monitoring equipment. I was shivering there because of cold temperature. I was asked to move over on to the x-ray table from my bed, which is quite narrow  and  cold. . 

I was lying face up on the x-ray table and awake throughout this procedure and I was asked to lie flat and keep still as possible. I saw all  around me only female nurses/technicians and the  main  doctor nishit Chandra. He asked me  how I am feeling with a smiling  face. I said okay. He said  it will hardly take 15 minutes. He asked  me why I am shivering,  I  said  maybe  because of the cold  inside the room. He made  me comfortable with words.
Than they started putting all gadgets on my body and Inserted  IV set etc.

I have seen it  in the hospital, they  always tell  me what they are going to do with me before doing anything.

The doctor told me  he is  going to  make very  small cut  in my right groin. And if that  area is not successful ,they will cut  in the left groin. Now I know why  they shaved my both groin area before coming to operation  theater.

The right groin area is washed and disinfected and then numbed with an injection of local anesthetic. A small incision is made at the right  leg entry site, and a short plastic tube (sheath) is inserted into my right  leg artery. The catheter is inserted through the sheath into my blood vessel and carefully threaded to my heart or coronary arteries. I was feeling like ant bites inside my veins.

Contrast liquid is put through the catheter to help my blood vessels and organs show up better. I felt a warm HOT FLASH as the liquid is put into the catheter. Also get a headache .Doctor said it will go  away, don’t worry.

A series of X-rays are taken once the dye is injected. The X-ray machine is moved around me and the bed is moved to obtain the correct position. The x-ray machine  moved close to my chest and  also moved towards my head and from side to side. This enables a complete picture of the heart, arteries and valves to be taken. I was also watching in the monitor my veins.

The doctor told me that I have three arteries  blocked and they  will have to use two stents. I asked him  to look  at my kidney also. He smiled  and told  me it  will cost Rs3000 more for the dye. I said go for it. He smiled and  said I am his  one of the most knowledgeable patient. They rarely get such educated patient.

Doctor went out to discuss with my family and take permission to do  it.

ANGIOPLASTY:

During angioplasty, the balloon is blown up inside the coronary artery, squashing fatty deposits and widening the narrowed artery. Usually the catheter also carries a short hollow tube made of stainless steel (called a stent) which opens out as the balloon is blown up and is left inside your artery. It is like a tiny piece of scaffolding that holds the artery open.I was implanted with two stent of the drug eluting variety.

The procedure took approximately 45 minutes, not 15 minutes as he said.

AFTER THE PROCEDURE AT  ICU

They kept me at the operation  theater waiting room for one hour for any emergency.Than they shifted  me to the ICU.

The  nurses keep a pressure dressing, sandbag,  in place over the cut site of  my right  leg to stop bleeding. The nurse will check my blood pressure,  temperature,groin area and feet pulses frequently. They check frequently for swelling  in the cut area. The female nurse who  stand near  me frequently check the groin area for any bleeding.I was bleeding a little. She wipes by her gloved hand  any blood.

Arteries are high-pressure systems. The risk for significant bleeding after an invasive procedure is high. I was lying there  with no  movement  of the leg for  12 hours as they nurse told me.. 

The  nurse who  is attending to me gave me a lot of  water to drink. An increased fluid intake promotes excretion of the contrast medium, reducing the risk of toxicity (particularly to the kidneys). She  gave  me a bedpan to  urinate  as I was urinating very  frequently. 

The nurse never allowed  me to move even to eat in the first day. The nurse will feed me tablets, coconut water, salad, fruits, oats always by her own  hand.   

RECOVERY ROOM:

The pictures shown are from  the recovery room. I was assigned one female  nurse .She  gave me medicines, fed  me food etc. She always stays outside the toilet when I am inside and never allowed me to lock from inside. The male nurse daily  gave  me a  shave.

I was also enjoying the TV also. They made me walk outside the room before discharging  me with the following advices.

After coming home: Five steps to follow  daily and regular  visit  after  every six months.

1. Maintaninng Blood pressure  by medicine  and salt  restriction.

2 .Maintaining Cholesterol by medicine and diet  control.

3. Maintaining  Acidity by medicine

4.Using blood thinner as prescribed

5. Maintaining fitness  by walking  daily in  the nearby garden.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

May  Allah don’t give such  health problem to anybody in this world . Its  a big drain on  money  and mental condition  of the whole  family.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN  CURE.

So please get  aware of this silent killer.

Contributed by JEBEEN: 10/20/04 Save yourselves & others from Heart attack+stroke

Stroke + Heart Attack LIFESAVER Actions -

Heart Attack Self Help
You are alone & suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. What do you do?

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
Usually people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who feels like fainting, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.

 

**coughing repeatedly and very vigorously might save that    

   person.

**A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the 

  cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing

  sputum from deep inside the chest.

**A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two

  seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt

  to be beating normally again.

**Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing

   movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. **The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain

    normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a

    hospital.

Tell as many people as possible about this, also your family members.

This might be a lifesaver if we can remember the three questions!

Is It a Stroke?Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple
questions:

*Ask the individual to smile.
*Ask him or her to raise both arms.
*Ask the person to speak a simple sentence.

If there is trouble with any of these tasks, call 911 or any other Emergency#s immediately, and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions. They presented their conclusions at
the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.