Texas CPR Training, LLC
Serving Dallas, Texas and surrounding areas!
Act in Time
The American Heart
Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute have launched a new "Act in Time" campaign
to increase people's awareness of heart attack and
the importance of calling 9-1-1 immediately at the
onset of heart attack symptoms.
Dial 9-1-1 Fast
Heart attack and
stroke are life-and-death emergencies -- every
second counts. If you see or have any of the listed
symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1. Not all these
signs occur in every heart attack or stroke.
Sometimes they go away and return. If some occur,
get help fast! Today heart attack and stroke victims
can benefit from new medications and treatments
unavailable to patients in years past. For example,
clot-busting drugs can stop some heart attacks and
strokes in progress, reducing disability and saving
lives. But to be effective, these drugs must be
given relatively quickly after heart attack or
stroke symptoms first appear. So again, don't delay
-- get help right away!
Statistics
Coronary heart
disease is America's No. 1 killer. Stroke is No. 3
and a leading cause of serious disability. That's
why it's so important to reduce your risk factors,
know the warning signs, and know how to respond
quickly and properly if warning signs occur.
*****Heart Attack
Warning Signs*****
Some heart attacks
are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack,"
where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart
attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort.
Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and
wait too long before getting help. Here are signs
that can mean a heart attack is happening:
Chest
discomfort.
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center
of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or
that goes away and comes back. It can feel like
uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Discomfort
in other areas of the upper body.
Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or
both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of
breath.
May occur with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs:
These may include breaking out in a cold sweat,
nausea or lightheadedness
As
with men, women's most common heart attack symptom
is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat
more likely than men to experience some of the other
common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath,
nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
If you or someone
you're with has chest discomfort, especially with
one or more of the other signs, don't wait longer
than a few minutes (no more than 5) before calling
for help. Call 9-1-1... Get to a hospital right
away.
Calling 9-1-1 is
almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving
treatment. Emergency medical services staff can
begin treatment when they arrive -- up to an hour
sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car.
The staff are also trained to revive someone whose
heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who
arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment
at the hospital, too.
If you can't
access the emergency medical services (EMS), have
someone drive you to the hospital right away. If
you're the one having symptoms, don't drive
yourself, unless you have absolutely no other
option.
*****Stroke Warning
Signs*****
The American
Stroke Association says these are the warning signs
of stroke:
Sudden
numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg,
especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or
understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of
balance or coordination
Sudden severe headache with no known cause
If you or someone
with you has one or more of these signs, don't
delay! Immediately call 9-1-1 or the emergency
medical services (EMS) number so an ambulance
(ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for
you. Also, check the time so you'll know when the
first symptoms appeared. It's very important to take
immediate action. If given within three hours of the
start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug can reduce
long-term disability for the most common type of
stroke.
*****Cardiac Arrest*****
Cardiac
arrest strikes immediately and without warning.
Here are the signs:
Sudden loss of
responsiveness. No response to gentle shaking.
No normal
breathing. The victim does not take a normal breath
when you check for several seconds.
No signs of
circulation. No movement or coughing.
If cardiac
arrest occurs, call 9-1-1 and begin CPR immediately.
If an automated external defibrillator (AED) is
available and someone trained to use it is nearby,
involve them.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3053#Heart_Attack
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