Tip of the month: What to do if you think YOU are having a heart attack

Symptoms of a heart attack can include:

• chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest. The chest pain is often severe, but some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion.
• pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy
• feeling lightheaded or dizzy
• sweating
• shortness of breath
• feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
• an overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
• lots of coughing or wheezing due to a build-up of fluid in the lungs.

However symptoms can vary from person to person. Some people may have other symptoms such as back or jaw pain without any chest pain.

Don’t delay because you think hospitals are too busy – the NHS still has systems in place to treat people for heart attacks. If you delay, you are more likely to suffer serious heart damage and more likely to need intensive care and to spend longer in hospital. It’s important you get medical attention immediately. And you will not be wasting paramedics’ time – a heart attack is a medical emergency.

If there is someone with you, ask them to call you an ambulance. If you are alone, try and contact a neighbour or the closest person and ask them to call 999 for you. If this is not possible, call 999 yourself. It’s essential to dial 999 if you have any symptoms that could be a heart attack. If you think you need to be seen before you can speak to your GP but you don’t think you’re having a heart attack, call 111 for an assessment.

 Don’t try and take yourself to hospital, as the ambulance team will give you the best care and do tests on the way.

You should sit down and try to stay calm while you wait for the ambulance. If aspirin is available and you are not allergic to it, slowly chew and then swallow an adult-size tablet (300mg) while you wait for the ambulance. Aspirin helps to thin your blood and improve blood flow to your heart. If you have had a heart attack, it’s important that you rest while you wait for an ambulance, to avoid unnecessary strain on your heart.