“If You Have a Heart Attack at Home, Do This in 10 Seconds” — What You Should Actually Do
There is no 10-second trick that can stop a heart attack. The most important action is to call your local emergency number immediately if you think you’re having one. Fast treatment can save heart muscle and lives.
🚨 If you suspect a heart attack
- Call emergency services immediately. Don’t wait to see whether the pain goes away and don’t drive yourself to the hospital.
- Sit down and rest in a comfortable position while waiting for help.
- Follow the emergency dispatcher’s instructions.
- If you’re an alert adult with non-traumatic chest pain, current AHA/Red Cross guidance says you may be encouraged to chew and swallow 162–325 mg of aspirin, provided you aren’t allergic to aspirin and haven’t been told by a healthcare professional not to take it. If there’s uncertainty, it’s reasonable to wait for EMS.
- If you have prescribed nitroglycerin/GTN for angina, use it according to your prescribed instructions.
⚠️ Recognize the symptoms
A heart attack can cause pressure, squeezing or pain in the chest, discomfort spreading to the arm, back, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea or lightheadedness. Symptoms can be different from person to person.
If the person becomes unresponsive and isn’t breathing normally, this may be cardiac arrest rather than simply a heart attack. Call emergency services and begin CPR/use an AED if available.
