PHILADELPHIA – Heart attacks kill a lot of people in South Africa. according to a report commissioned by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, 125 South Africans have heart attacks every day, and of those, 33 die, meaning that there are over 12 000 heart attack deaths in the country every year.

While a person’s chances of surviving a heart attack depend on a range of factors, including the severity of the attack and the person’s overall health, quick action can dramatically improve the odds of survival. For this reason, it’s worth knowing exactly what to do when a heart attack strikes; the knowledge could save your life or the life of someone close to you.

Step 1: is this a heart attack?

The first step in dealing with a heart attack is to know when one is happening. in real life, heart attacks are not like they are in the movies where people clutch their chests, gasp, and fall over. Real heart attacks often start slowly, with mild pain that gradually increases or fades in and out, so if you’re at risk of a heart attack – if you’re over 50, overweight, a smoker, or have been diagnosed with heart disease – it’s important to be vigilant. these are the major symptoms to look out for:

• Chest pain. Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack, and generally feels like pressure or pain in the centre of your chest.
• Other pain. Pain in other parts of the body, especially the arms, back, jaw, or stomach, are also common symptoms.
• Shortness of breath. Feeling like you can’t breathe in deep enough, gasping for air, or panting, together with chest pain, is a very good sign that a heart attack is in progress.
• Other symptoms. The most common other symptoms of heart attack are nausea, light-headedness, and a cold sweat.

Remember, it’s quite common for people who are having heart attacks to be uncertain of what’s happening; one of the reasons that so many people die from heart attacks is that they delay seeking help because they aren’t sure they’re actually having a heart attack. If you have the symptoms listed above, and you think you’re having a heart attack, seek help immediately, whether you’re sure or not.

Step 2: It’s a heart attack! Call an ambulance!

The first thing you need to do when you’re having a heart attack is to call an ambulance. When it comes to heart attacks, the sooner you get to a hospital the better, so don’t delay. Call an ambulance, and tell whoever you speak to that you think you’re having a heart attack, so that the paramedics come quickly and come prepared.  

If you’re somewhere off the beaten track, and you think it would take an ambulance too long to get to you, ask someone to drive you to the hospital – don’t try to drive yourself as you may well pass out at some point. Remember, though, that studies show people who arrive at the ER in ambulances get treated faster than those who arrive on their own steam, so if you can, use an ambulance.

Step 3: What can I do while I wait for the ambulance?

Once you’ve called for help, one useful thing you can do is to chew between 162 and 325mg of aspirin. Aspirin thins the blood, and is commonly given to people who are having heart attacks at the ER, so chewing one while you wait can be helpful (it’s best to chew because a chewed aspirin gets to the bloodstream faster than a swallowed one). Obviously, if you’re allergic to aspirin or you are on drugs that interact with it, you shouldn’t take any.

If you’ve had a heart attack before and you doctor has prescribed nitroglycerin tablets for you, you should take them as prescribed while you wait for the ambulance. you should also stay calm, and avoid moving around or doing anything strenuous.

A final useful thing to do, before you have a heart attack, is to get a copy of your resting electrocardiogram (ECG). If you’re at risk of heart attack, you should ask your doctor to do a resting ECG and to give you a copy of the results – having this available for the ER personnel can improve your treatment.

Preparation can help you survive a heart attack, so be aware of the symptoms, act quickly if you think you’re having one, and be prepared with aspirin or nitroglycerin and your ECG. And above all, stay calm and focus on getting help.

I've been a heavy smoker for nearly ten years (I've since quit, but my throat hasn't). I've been a heavy drinker for most of that time too (and since quit). I'm 27, and terrified that I may have throat cancer. It's just constantly sore. I even wake during the night with the pain sometimes. Please help, I don't know what to do. I've been to see the doctor but he was useless, he simply perscribed patches to get me away from the smokes. It's been like this for well over a year now.

First of all I am so glad you stopped smoking. Congrats. Sounds like it is time to change drs. You are still young and I hope that you don't have cancer. I had a cousin that had it and he now talks with a machine to his neck. He worked in a casino around smoke for yrs. I hope you give up drinking too. Gl with your health.

I have a friend who has had the same sypthoms that you are experienceing and he went to the doctor and they reccommend that he see a dentist. He did go and they told him to not drink or smoke anymore and it would reduce the chances of him developing cancer of the mouth. it has been a long going process. So my advice to you is make a appointment with you dentist and see what he/she may have to say. The out come of my friends illness is questionable to wether or not it will ever be good. He also drank and smoked for years. I wish you the best of luck but make that appointment please.

first of all congrats at giving up smoking, there quite a few symptoms related to throat cancer here are a few,

a persistant sore throat
lumps on the neck
hoarseness in the voice
mouth sores that wont heal
difficulty in swallowing
unexplained bleeding in the mouth
weight loss
there are also lots of web site u can look up relating to this problem although a visit to your doctor will put your mind more at rest if you have got cancer the earlier you get treatmant the better the cure good luck

I don't really know the exact symptoms of throat cancer as they differ from person to person, but I do know the Homeopathic Remedies which can cure it !
1.ARSENICUM ALBUM 200. 3 drops in a sip of water once a day.
2.PHOSPHORUS 30. 3 drops in a sip of water three times a day.always take these medicines on an empty stomach meaning at least 30 minutes after or before meals and avoid chocolates coffee mints and red meat while you are taking Homeopathic Medicines !
God Bless you and take care

go to another dr . get a 2nd opinion straight way. this sounds serious

I agree that getting a second opinion is VITAL! Many people with this type of symptoms experience sore throat and hoarseness. Those are the most common symptoms. Other symptoms include an earache, swelling of the neck, spitting up blood and a bad cough.

Please see another doctor. Don't let a bad experience with one doctor affect your health.

3 weeks ago maybe 4 i cut my pinky on a fence as i was hopping it, it was like a sharp thing ontop of the fence, it cut it pretty deep. i thought i needed stiches, i showed it to my mom and she immediatly brong up tetanus. im 19, work off the books so i have no medical insurance, so i showed it to my dad and he put butterfly stitches on it and said it would be alright. ok so now about 3-4 weeks later im at my friends party and when im leaving my moron friend decides it would be funny to trip me as im running to my friends car, so i hit the ground land right ontop of my other pinky, it kinda snapped in half, and i snapped it back into place(only putting this here cause idk if you can get tetanus from crushing a bone)so the next morning i wake up extremely sick, i don't know if it was a hangover or what, but i was sick. started off just being a mild fever, and a lot of throwing up, towards the middle of the day i started getting like spasms in my stomach, had some difficulty breathing(which i get on occasion, i am heavy smoker). so that day passes and the next morning i wake up, not that sick anymore but i got a stiff neck, chest still hurts when i breathe, and the arm of which my pinky was cut felt pretty stiff. ok so that day passes, now its today, i wake up my neck wasnt as stiff as yesterday, my arm still feels stiff, and my chest is still hurting. i don't remember the last time i got a tetanus shot, maybe when i was 9 or 10? im 19 now, i didnt wanna tell all this information to my mom because she would have spazzed out, so can someone let me know whats going on am? do you think i have tetanus or am i being paranoid?