Surviving a Heart Attack Alone

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#CCFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="039506e1egerbq.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#339900" FACE="Arial" ><B>Post-Polio Syndrome Information and More</B></FONT><B> </B><B> </B></div> <div> <B>                                                                                                              </B><A HREF="index_page.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Index"><U><B>INDEX</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#339900" TEXT="#080000"> <div>                <img src="HTMLobj-168/aniGif.gif" alt="pumping heart" border="0" align="bottom" width="87" height="97">  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>                  <img src="HTMLobj-171/aniGif.gif" alt="Red Molecule" border="0" align="bottom" width="67" height="50">     </div> <bR> <bR> <div>        </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#99CC00" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Surviving a Heart Attack -- ALONE</B></div> <div> <B> <img src="HTMLobj-298/aniGif.gif" alt="Spinning red checkmark, gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="67" height="50">          HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK ALONE</B></div> <bR> <div> Let's say it's 6:15 p.m. and you're driving home,</div> <div> (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the</div> <div> job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated.</div> <div> Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your</div> <div> chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up</div> <div> into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the</div> <div> hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't</div> <div> know if you'll be able to make it that far.</div> <bR> <div> What can you do? You've been trained in CPR but the</div> <div> guy who taught the course neglected to tell you how to</div> <div> perform it on yourself.  (Since many people are alone</div> <div> when they suffer a heart attack, this article seemed</div> <div> in order.) Without help the person whose heart stops</div> <div> beating properly and who begins to feel faint, has</div> <div> only about 10 seconds left before losing</div> <div> consciousness.</div> <bR> <div> However, these victims can help themselves by</div> <div> <B>coughing repeatedly and very vigorously.</B> A deep breath</div> <div> should be taken before each cough, and <B>the cough must</B></div> <div> <B>be deep and prolonged</B>, as when producing sputum from</div> <div> deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be</div> <div> <B>repeated about every two seconds</B> without let up until</div> <div> help arrives, until the heart is felt to be beating</div> <div> normally again. <B>Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs</B></div> <div> <B>and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the</B></div> <div> <B>blood circulating</B>. The squeezing pressure on the heart</div> <div> also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart</div> <div> attack victims can get to a phone and, between</div> <div> breaths, call for help.</div> <bR> <div> From Health Cares  Rochester General Hospital via Chapter 240's newsletter</div> <div>  AND THE BEAT GOES ON:(reprint from The Mended Hearts, Inc.</div> <div> publication, Heart Response) </div> <bR> <div> <B>The above article has been refuted by </B><B>Russel J. Witte and the complete e-mail </B></div> <div> <B>can be read by clicking </B><A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Opposition to How to Survive a Heart Att"><U><B>here</B></U></A><B>.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="18a37340.jpg" border=0 width="55" height="52" ALT="Picture of Heart" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY OF THESE "CLASSIC" WARNING SIGNALS OF A HEART ATTACK, CALL </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#993366" FACE="Arial" ><B>911 </B></FONT><B>IMMEDIATELY:</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcff000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">            Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of              </B></div> <div> <B>                  the </B><B>chest lasting more than a few minutes.</B><B>          </B></div> <div> <B>            </B></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcff000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">            Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcff000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">            Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or          </B></div> <div> <B>                   shortness of breath.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>LESS COMMON WARNING SIGNS OF HEART ATTACK:</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcff000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">            Atypical chest pain, stomach or abdominal pain.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcff000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">            Nausea or dizziness.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcff000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">            Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcff000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">            Unexplained anxiety, weakness or fatigue.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcff000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">             Palpitations, cold sweat or paleness.</B></div> <div> <B>      </B></div> <div> <B>          </B></div> <bR> <div>  <img src="HTMLobj-169/aniGif.gif" alt="Chain gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="620" height="15">  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>THE WARNING SIGNS OF STROKE:</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>* A sudden numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg, especially</B></div> <div> <B>   on one side of the body.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>* Abrupt loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>* An immediate loss of vision in one or both eyes.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>* Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls, especially with any</B></div> <div> <B>   of the previous symptoms.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>* A severe, sudden headache with no apparent cause.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1f3d4170.jpg" border=0 width="468" height="23" ALT="Colorful bar divider" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="0e7b4d60.jpg" border=0 width="436" height="214" ALT="Cartoon strip of Marmaduke the Dane wanting the couch to sleep on but so does his owner" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div>        <B> </B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PPS and Anesthesia"><U><IMG SRC="0816e5a0.jpg" border=0 width="110" height="90" ALT="Back button of same cat under blanket reaching for ball" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>                                                                              <A HREF="baby_boomers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BabyBoomers, CFS Possible Link to Polio"><U><IMG SRC="08a6e590.jpg" border=0 width="110" height="89" ALT="Forward Button of cat under a blanket with paw reaching for ball" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <div>                                                                                           </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>