If you think you’re having a heart attack at home, there is no 10-second maneuver that can reliably stop it. The safest immediate actions are:
-
Call your local emergency medical service immediately (in Pakistan, 1122 where Rescue 1122 operates).
-
Sit or lie down and rest; avoid walking around or driving yourself to the hospital.
-
If you are alert and not allergic to aspirin, have not been told to avoid it, and have no active bleeding, emergency guidance commonly recommends chewing an aspirin (usually 160–325 mg) while waiting for help.
-
If you have prescribed nitroglycerin, take it exactly as previously instructed.
-
If you become unconscious and aren’t breathing normally, someone nearby should start CPR and use an AED if available.
Typical warning signs include pressure, squeezing, or pain in the chest, pain spreading to the arm, shoulder, back, neck, or jaw, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, or unexplained weakness.
Don’t wait to see whether it goes away. Heart attacks require urgent medical treatment.
