Fun_People Archive
20 Sep
Heart Attack Survival - This Could Save Your Life

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From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 99 20:44:20 -0700
To: Fun_People
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Subject: Heart Attack Survival - This Could Save Your Life

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From: Gramppa@aol.com

       HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
(Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article
seemed 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, and the cough must be deep
and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.
A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two 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 phone and, between breaths, call for help.  Tell as many other
people as possible about this, it could save their lives!

from Health Cares, Rochester General Hospital via Chapter 240's newsletter
AND THE BEAT GOES ON...  (reprint from The Mended Hearts, Inc. publication)

© 1999 Peter Langston