What if .... someone is having a heart attack?
Thousands of Canadians die from heart attacks every year because they don't receive medical treatment quickly enough. Learn to recognize the signs of a heart attack so you can react quickly to save a life.
Warning signs can vary from person to person and they may not always be sudden or severe. Although chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom of a heart attack in both men and women, some people will not experience chest pain at all, while others will experience only mild chest pain or discomfort. Others may experience one symptom, while some experience a combination.
Symptoms of Heart Attack
Thousands of Canadians die from heart attacks every year because they don't receive medical treatment quickly enough. Learn to recognize the signs of a heart attack so you can react quickly to save a life. Warning signs can vary from person to person and they may not always be sudden or severe. Although chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom of a heart attack in both men and women, some people will not experience chest pain at all, while others will experience only mild chest pain or discomfort. Others may experience one symptom, while some experience a combination.
© Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, 2014
If you are experiencing any of these signs, you should:
CALL 9-1-1 or your local emergency number immediately, or have someone call for you.
Keep a list of emergency numbers near the phone at all times.
Stop all activity and sit or lie down, in whatever position is most comfortable.
If you take nitroglycerin, take your normal dosage.
If the 9-1-1 operator advises it, chew and swallow one adult tablet or two 80 mg tablets of ASA (Aspirin®), as long as you are not allergic or intolerant. Do not take other pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®) instead of Aspirin. Do not substitute Aspirin for medical care; call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number first.
Rest and wait for emergency medical personnel to arrive.
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© 2014 Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Reproduced with permission of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
