Reply
Tue 27 Jan, 2004 03:50 pm
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK ALONE
Let's say it's 6:15 p.m.
and you're driving home (alone of course), after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated. Suddenly, you start
experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw.You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home; unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. What can you do? You've been trained in CPR but the guy that taught the course neglected to tell you how to perform it on yourself. Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seemed to be in order.
Without help, the person whose heart stops beating properly and who
begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.
However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and
very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough. The cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. And a cough must be repeated about every 2
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.
From Health Cares, Rochester General H
I've heard about this coughing thing, but not the details, thanks Dys. I wonder how well it works, what the stats are, how many lives it'll save, etc.
I had never heard that before.
I hope I never find myself in that circumstance.
Thanks for posting.
I've seen this before as well and one could never see it enough. Thanks Dys ;-)
I've read that this is an urban legend of sorts, AND have read that it is true. Have no pro or con knowledge myself.
Given that I don't usually drive with aspirin or phone accessible, it's nice to know I've got another possible option.
Thanks, dys.
Thanks for the info. If I find myself in this predicament, I'll just start coughing...what do I have to lose?
Think I'm gonna throw a few aspirin in my purse. Thank you as well Phoenix.
Please call 911 and have the medical experts help you.