If you experience any signs or symptoms of a heart attack, do not hesitate. Get medical help immediately. Every minute is important in a heart attack situation. Always keep emergency phone numbers in a convenient location near the telephone so no time will be wasted. Your local emergency medical service (EMS) for an ambulance to take you to the hospital.

Medical treatment, including clot-dissolving medicine, can save your life and reduce damage to the heart muscle, but only if treatment begins very soon after a heart attack occurs. Waiting, even if only for fifteen minutes, can result in damage to the heart muscle that could have been avoided with immediate treatment. EMS teams can begin administering care from the moment they arrive.

What If Someone Else Has Warning Signs?

It is very common for people to deny that they are having a heart attack. Often people think the pain and discomfort is indigestion and will go away. It is frightening for most people to admit that they may be having a heart attack. Almost anyone with a family member who has suffered from a heart attack will tell you that the family member's initial reaction was to deny or to minimize the seriousness of the symptoms.

Early care is critical to survival. Every second counts. The sooner a person who is having a heart attack arrives at the hospital, the better the chances are that he or she will live. Know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, and when you see someone experience them, get that person to advanced health care as soon as possible. They may try to tell you they don't need to see a doctor, but don't take no for an answer. It's always better to be safe. Your efforts can make the difference between life and death.

Your Emergency Response Can Save a Life

You can make a difference in the event of a cardiac emergency if you have some basic training. Organizations such as the American Heart Association and American Red Cross offer training for laypeople. Each year, thousands of lives are saved by people who learned CPR and how to use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and who were able to respond quickly to emergency situations.

A tragic incident occurred at a law firm during their annual holiday party. One of the attorneys collapsed from a heart attack in the midst of the festivities. None of the partygoers knew CPR. Although emergency assistance arrived, he died. Perhaps his life could have been saved if someone had taken emergency training. After the event, the firm initiated an internal CPR training program for its staff. It was an unfortunate case of learning a lesson the hard way.