An episode of severe chest pain lasting more than 2 minutes or accompanied by other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, feeling sick, vomiting, or sweating, for example, may indicate cardiac changes such as angina or heart attack. urgent medical care. Learn what chest pain may be.
The intensity of the symptoms can vary between people and, in more severe cases, the pain can radiate to the neck, back and arms. People over the age of 40, diabetics, who have cholesterol or high blood pressure are more susceptible to heart attack or angina. Thus, it is important to adopt healthy habits to avoid the occurrence of these problems, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet and avoid alcohol and cigarette smoking.
The diagnosis of angina is made by means of electrocardiogram, dosage of cardiac enzymes in the blood, exercise test and echocardiogram. Learn more about angina and how to identify it.
What to do
So first aid for people who experience chest pain are:
- Calm the victim, to reduce the work of the heart;
- Turn on SAMU 192 or ask someone to call;
- Do not allow the victim to walk, placing her sitting comfortably;
- Unfasten tight clothing to make breathing easier;
- Keep the body temperature pleasant, avoiding situations of heat or intense cold;
- Do not give anything to drink, because if there is loss of consciousness the victim may choke;
- Ask if the person uses any medication for emergency situations, such as Isordil and, if so, put the tablet under the tongue;
- Ask and note other medications the person uses to inform the medical staff;
- Note down as much information as you can about, for example, diseases you have, where you do some follow-up, contact with a relative.
These first aid are essential both to help lower the damage to the person's heart, and to facilitate the care and treatment of the emergency team, and thus can help save a life.
If at any time the person loses consciousness, one should lie down with the head slightly raised in relation to the body, or sideways, in addition to having redoubled attention to vital signs, such as heartbeat and breathing, stop, cardiac massage should be started. Here's how to do the heart massage properly.
Also, it is important to know that infarction and angina may present more quietly, such as a burning or feeling of heaviness in the chest. In these cases, if the discomfort lasts longer than 20 minutes, it is also important to call the SAMU 192 or go to the emergency room. Learn more about what causes and how to recognize the symptoms of heart attack.
