How to Treat a Heart Attack

Approximate 1,000,000 people suffer heart attacks each year in the US. Fortunately, more than half survive due to the fact that emergency responders begin to treat a heart attack long before reaching the hospital. Of course, surviving a heart attack is only the first step toward recovery. A full recovery depends on how you treat your heart attack at home, after the event. Learn how to treat a heart attack to reduce your risk of having another.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Admission to a cardiac rehabilitation program
• Follow up care with a cardiologist

Learn How to Treat a Heart Attack

1. Expect that the first course of treatment will take place in the ambulance or hospital emergency room with the administration of oxygen. You may also be given a dose of regular aspirin to act as a blood thinner, as well as nitroglycerin to increase blood circulation through the coronary arteries.
2. Know that thrombolytic drugs will likely be administered within an hour after arriving at the hospital to help dissolve any blood clots that may be blocking coronary arteries.
3. Understand that a number of additional medications may be given to treat your heart attack. These include anticoagulants to remove clotting, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to reduce blood pressure, antiplatelet drugs (such as clopidogrel) and beta blockers to treat an arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat.
4. Anticipate that your physician may want to perform an angioplasty, a non-surgical procedure that can alleviate clogged arteries. This is achieved by inserting a tiny catheter with a balloon on one end through a blood vessel leading to the blocked artery. The balloon is then inflated to force the plaque against the wall of the artery and clear a path for blood flow.
5. Know that a coronary artery bypass grafting may be completed if there is significant arterial blockage that increases your risk of another heart attack. This surgical procedure borrows arteries or veins from other areas of the body to form a bypass around the blocked arteries to provide an alternate route for blood to circulate.
6. Recognize that treatment doesn't stop once you've left the hospital. In fact, you will likely find yourself a member of the "Cardiac Club" in which a cardiac rehabilitation team will work with you to provide counseling on nutrition and exercise to help you avoid a future heart attack.

Tips & Warnings

• Aside from your physician, your cardiac rehab team will consist of cardiac specialists, a dietician, exercise professionals and a psychologist or other counselors.

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