World Heart Day 2018: 4 Ways To Survive A Heart Attack When You're Alone

World heart day 2018: Taking an aspiring could be helpful in case of heart attack

September 29 is World Heart Day. Every year this day is observed exclusively for heart patients and heart health. On World Heart Day 2018, numerous campaigns and discussions are held, which focus on making people more aware about their heart health, encouraging them to opt for preventive health care check-ups and helping them learn the important signs which their heart is giving. Symptoms of heart attack can vary from mild to severe and there are many times that a person is unaware of a heart attack. A heart attack usually begins slowly and causes mild pain and discomfort. These are warning signs of heart attack before they actually strike you. Some of the common warning signs of heart attack are pain in chest (especially in the centre - the one which lasts more than a few minutes and comes and goes), discomfort in upper body parts (neck, jaw, arms, back, stomach), shortness of breath and unusual sensations such as vomiting, nausea and dizziness.

Also read: Are Heart Attack Symptoms Different In Women?

In case you are feeling symptoms of a heart attack and you're alone, here's what you should do:

1. Take an aspirin: As far as you're conscious, you can opt for a normal dose of aspirin, as it helps in slowing down the blood's ability to clot. When you're having a heart attack, aspirin slows down blood clotting and minimises the size of blood clots.

Aspirin slows down blood clotting in case of heart attack
Photo Credit: iStock

2. Call an ambulance: You need to make a call to emergency medical services at the earliest. In case there is someone with you, ask them to stay until the ambulance arrives. People in emergency medical services are trained to revive people suffering from heart attack.

Also read: 6 Common Symptoms Of Heart Attack In Men

3. Water and cayenne pepper: If you are suffering from a heart attack when you're alone, you can drink a glass of water with 1 tsp cayenne pepper in it. Cayenne pepper acts as a stimulant for increasing heart rate. It balances blood circulation and facilitates blood flow all over the body. However, there is no scientific proof of how this can be helpful.

4. Cough CPR: Breathing deeply and then coughing deeply can raise your blood pressure for a second or two. It is believed that doing this can deliver more blood to your brain. However, the American Heart Association is against a cough CPR as they cannot be used for a person who gets unresponsive during a heart attack.

Also read: What Is A Silent Heart Attack?

Thus, in case you are having a heart attack when you're alone, the best thing to do is take an aspirin and call for emergency help. Also, prevent the very occurrence of heart attack by living a healthy lifestyle, quit smoking, cut down on alcohol intake and exercise regularly.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.