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 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
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.
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.
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:
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+strokeStroke + 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 thatperson.**A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and thecough must be deep and prolonged, as when producingsputum from deep inside the chest.**A breath and a cough must be repeated about every twoseconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is feltto be beating normally again.**Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughingmovements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. **The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regainnormal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to ahospital.
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.
