People suffer from a heart attack when the blood supply gets blocked and as a result oxygen supply gets hampered. This results in damage to the heart muscles and can often claim the life of the person or make him disabled. Therefore, knowledge about dealing with heart attacks can be helpful in saving the lives of individuals.
Perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
If you find someone suffering from a heart attack, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the person will help in coping with the attack. First check whether the person is breathing. If he is not breathing, start artificial respiration for the person. If you are inexperienced, do not waste time checking the carotid artery (the pulse in the neck). However, if you still want to check the neck pulse, place your finger in the space between the windpipe and the muscles at the side of the personâs neck. Press with your fingers backward, to check for the pulse. Even after this, if you are not able to detect the pulse, do not waste more time and continue with the CPR. Find the inverted v-shaped gap at the bottom of the ribcage. Put your central finger in the gap and your index finger on the breast bone of the person. Next, put the heel of your other hand and move it down until it touches your index finger. Put the heel of your hand on the middle of the lower half of the breastbone. In the next step, place the heel of the other hand on top of the other. Keep your fingers away from the chest. Lock your fingers and apply pressure only with the heel of your hands. Your elbows should be kept straight as this will enable you to put your entire body weight on your hands and it will be easy to press. The press should be firm and must be done quickly. The pressure should be in a downward movement. Relax for some time and again begin the process. Continue with this procedure fifteen times, followed twice by artificial respiration until help arrives. The rate of compression should be hundred per minute. For keeping a count of the time, you can count while giving the pressure.
Giving artificial breathing
Artificial breathing can be administered to the person with heart attack. For giving artificial breathing, tilt the head back and lift the chin of the individual. Hold the nostrils with your fingers to prevent leakage of air. Take a deep breath yourself and then seal your mouth over the personâs mouth. Breathe slowly into the mouth of the person. It should take about two seconds to inflate the chest of the person. Continue this process two times. While breathing air into the body of the individual, make sure that the chest rises. If the chest rises, then be assured that enough air is been blown in. But if the chest does not rise despite giving artificial breathing, tilt the head backwards further and lift the chin up. Go on repeating this method unless the individual starts breathing or help arrives.
Artificial respiration and CPR can be performed at the same time
There are times when you feel that the individual who have had a heart attack is under much pain. In such situations, one person can perform artificial respiration and another can perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the individual to help him ease until help arrives. However, it should be kept in mind that it requires practice and expertise to perform these two methods on an individual suffering from a heart attack. The ratio of the compressions of the chest to the ratio of breaths is to be 30:2 for one person or two person cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Continue with this procedure until the doctor arrives or the patient gets a pulse and starts breathing again.
Pumping to start the heart beat again
This is the basic procedure to help a person suffering from a heart attack. To start the heart beat of a person, place your hands on the chest of the individual at the lower portion of the breast bone. Press your hands in a motion similar to pumping with your other hand pressed over it. Continue this method once or twice. This may start the heart beat again in the individual.This is a kind of shock treatment with your hands. What it does is helps to clear the blocked nerves and increase the oxygen to the heart which has stopped pumping. With this kind of a shock to the heart, it may restore its working and start pumping blood again. As soon as the heart starts beating again, the patient should be rushed to the hospital and given oxygen, externally. This will resume the functioning of the heart.
Let the patient know what has happened
If you have been successful in reviving the person, the person may remain confused by the commotion going around him. He may also feel weak. Do not let him become tensed or alarmed by the commotion; rather keep the patient calm and composed. Keep the person warm. Let him know what has happened slowly so that he can understand the situation well and will be able to face the reality. This will help in dealing with the heart attack more effectively. When the person knows what has happened to him, he would not panic and would cooperate with you in taking him to the hospital or letting the doctor consult him. It would help him recover better.
