Chest pain in the region of the heart does not always indicate a disease of this particular organ. But every person, especially if he has a predisposition to cardiological pathologies, should be able to differentiate the sensations arising in the chest, distinguishing pain in the heart from unpleasant sensations in the internal organs.

This is important, since in case of pain in the heart, first aid in some cases is needed immediately. For example, in such serious diseases as a dissecting aortic aneurysm, it may take minutes, and the outcome may depend on the timely provided first aid.

The main indicator that makes it possible to distinguish heart pain from another and to provide first aid on time is the nature, duration and localization, as well as the reaction to drugs (drugs). Soreness in the region of the heart, associated precisely with this organ, occurs, first of all, with angina pectoris and heart attack. In the latter case, first aid for pain in the heart area is needed within 10-15 minutes after the onset of the attack.

Angina pectoris is one of the first manifestations of coronary artery disease (CHD) when the tissues of the heart do not receive sufficient nutrition. Angina pectoris manifests itself in the form of a sharp pain behind the sternum, which has a compressive character. This is not as dangerous as a heart attack, but you still need to know what to do with angina pectoris at home, which pills to take and how to behave during an attack.

An attack requiring first aid can be provoked by:

• physical exercise;
• psychological stress, shock;
• temperature drop (when leaving the room to cold air);
• plentiful food.

The first characteristic sign of angina pectoris is a short attack, the acute phase of which lasts from 2 to 5 minutes, after which the pain gradually subsides and completely disappears after 20-30 minutes. When taking heart medications, the attack stops almost immediately.

First aid for heart pain with angina pectoris is to eliminate the cause of the attack (reduce stress, reduce stress) and calm the person. You can take one Nitroglycerin tablet.

A heart attack is a more serious condition associated with coronary artery disease. It is an acute shortage of oxygen in the tissues of the myocardium, resulting in their partial necrosis. Timely first aid provided for pain in the heart will save a person's life. The attack is also characterized by burning pain in the chest, which can radiate to the left side of the chest, under the scapula. The person feels a lack of air and experiences a pronounced feeling of heaviness in the region of the heart. Often, an attack is accompanied by panic and fear of death, the inability to be in a horizontal position.

The first sign that distinguishes a heart attack from angina pectoris is the persistence of pain even with the use of nitroglycerin and other cardiac drugs. In this condition, the patient requires first-aid emergency first aid for pain in the heart.

The third dangerous condition is aortic aneurysm, in which there is pain in the upper chest without radiating to other parts of the body. The pain lasts a long time (sometimes within a day) and intensifies with exertion. With a dissecting aortic aneurysm, pain is acute and bursting, after which the patient usually loses consciousness, which requires first aid from those who are nearby. Further, all that needs to be done for heart pain at home is to seek urgent medical attention.

Signs of a preinfarction state

Characteristic signs of heart pain

The first thing to do at home with heart pain is to distinguish it from sensations of another origin. Often, at the first attack, patients confuse sensations of a neuralgic nature with angina pectoris or heart attack. But the characteristic difference between unpleasant sensations of non-cardiogenic origin is a clear connection with movement and the ability to accurately indicate the localization of pain. With neuralgia, the pain is paroxysmal and sharp, and intensifies even with inspiration and weak hand movements. The patient clearly feels that he has pain between the ribs on the left and / or on the right. Other sensations may indicate osteochondrosis (for example, a feeling of numbness or tingling in the left hand) or stomach diseases (if the attack occurred for the first time after a long absence of food).

The first sign that allows you to define pain as heart pain is the nature of the pain: it is felt in the center of the chest, and gives to the left - arm, shoulder, neck, sometimes - to the center of the back under the left shoulder blade. Another important symptom of heart pain is the fear of death, which arises suddenly, without external causes.

First aid principles

A person diagnosed with or with a history of myocardial infarction or recurrent cases of angina pectoris should know what to do with heart pain first. His loved ones should also be aware of the principles of first aid for arising pain in the heart.

First of all, you need:

• to provide a person with peace;
• check the pressure;
• if the pressure is normal or high, give medicine for heart pain for first aid - a drug from the group of nitrates to reduce the load on the heart;
• give one of the drugs that block platelet aggregation to reduce the risk of heart attack and minimize its consequences;
• call an ambulance.

Every person who suffers from angina pectoris or who has experienced a heart attack should always have medicines with them, used as an ambulance for pain in the heart.

• Nitroglycerin, Verapamil - drugs that improve the blood supply to the myocardium and reduce its need for oxygen (they are taken at the first stage of care).
• - reduces the heart rate and its oxygen demand.
• Riboxin - improves metabolic processes in the myocardium, enhances its blood supply.

If the patient is under the supervision of a therapist or cardiologist in connection with a diagnosed coronary artery disease, after suffering myocardial infarction or with angina pectoris, then he should have with him the drugs prescribed by the doctor as supportive therapy.

First aid for heart pain at home begins with clarifying the nature and localization of unpleasant sensations. If a person cannot give an exact answer where exactly he hurts, you need to:

• first of all, stop physical or emotional stress (if any);
• provide the patient with peace;
• release from the squeezing elements of clothing (unfasten the collar, loosen the belt of the trousers);
• give the patient nitroglycerin (1 tablet);
• give 300 mg of acetylsalicylic acid;
• if angina pectoris persists within 5 minutes after the first tablet, give another nitrate tablet;
• if the attack still persists, call an ambulance.

If, after taking nitrate, the pain recedes in a minute, then we are talking about angina pectoris. The first thing to do with heart pain at home, if the pain intensifies, is to call a doctor.

Emergency first aid for pain after a heart attack

If pain occurs in the chest, which appears abruptly and does not subside for more than five minutes, myocardial infarction can be assumed. You need to act very quickly. First aid, if the heart hurts, and the pain is sharp, burning, with heaviness and lack of air, includes:

• calling an ambulance;
• release from squeezing items of clothing;
• measurement of blood pressure (BP);
• if the pressure is normal or high, taking a nitroglycerin tablet (sublingually) is indicated, if the blood pressure is below 100 mm, then nitrate cannot be given, since it will reduce the pressure, intensify the attack, or lead to the development of heart failure;
• 300 mg aspirin (chewed).

What to do in case of heart pain after myocardial infarction, if a person fainted and stopped breathing? First aid includes resuscitation (artificial ventilation of the lungs, heart massage). If the patient is stable and conscious, but feels a burning pain and heaviness in the chest, he should not be left alone until the ambulance arrives.

Useful video

For more information on what to do for heart pain, see this video:

Conclusion

1. Help with pain in the heart is to determine as accurately as possible the cause and nature of the sensations and, in accordance with it, take the necessary measures.
2. At home, an attack of angina pectoris is stopped with the help of nitrate and drugs that improve the blood supply to the myocardium. Aspirin is the second aid pill before the arrival of the doctors.
3. If the nature of the sensations is acute, sharp and unbearable, lasts more than 10 minutes and does not go away from taking nitrate, then most likely it is associated with a heart attack and requires immediate medical attention.

Acute heart failure is one of the most dangerous complications of cardiac diseases, in which the pumping function of the heart is impaired.

The myocardium does not relax enough, the chambers of the heart are not completely filled with blood. The amount of blood entering the aorta is insufficient to maintain the normal functioning of the body.

Acute heart failure is an emergency with a high probability of death and requires urgent hospitalization of the patient. We bring to your attention an article on first aid and medical aid for acute heart failure.

Acute heart failure can develop in minutes or hours... In about a quarter of cases, pathological changes occur so quickly and suddenly that the patient dies even at the prehospital stage.

Much more often, 10-14 days before the fatal event, nonspecific symptoms of latent heart failure appear, which are not considered by the patient himself as threatening.

The main indicator of the state of the heart is the ability to endure physical activity.

A sharp decrease in performance, severe fatigue, shortness of breath and seizures under normal loads, there are good enough reasons to listen to your own body and consult a doctor.

Another wake-up call is swelling that appears in the evenings. In the early stages of the development of pathology, swelling by morning partially or completely subsides.

Heart failure is subdivided into right ventricular and left ventricular. a total or mixed form develops. One of the first signs of any form of AHF is pain in the region of the heart..

With left ventricular heart failure, symptoms are rapidly increasing, indicating blood stagnation in the pulmonary circulation. The patient suffers from increasing shortness of breath, some relief of breathing occurs in the sitting position.

The heartbeat increases, breathing becomes noisy, bubbling, a dry cough begins, turning into a productive one. A change in the nature of the cough indicates the development of progressive pulmonary edema.... Sputum scanty, foaming, pink or streaked with blood. Cold sweat comes in, cyanosis of the tips of the fingers and toes appears.

Acute right ventricular failure develops less often, accompanied by increasing shortness of breath and venous congestion in the systemic circulation. One of the most common symptoms is swelling of the jugular veins.

Blood pressure goes down, the pulse is weak or hardly palpable, but the heart rate is very high. Peripheral edema, acrocyanosis develop, cold sweat appears. The liver enlarges and becomes painful.

Urgent actions before the arrival of the doctor

The patient must be seated in a comfortable position and be sure to lower his legs. Any garments that obstruct breathing must be unbuttoned., if possible, remove and provide fresh air and immediately call an ambulance.

While the patient is conscious, you need to talk to him, calming him down.

The victim's hands and feet should be slowly lowered into warm water. With indicators above 90 mm Hg. Art. you need to give a nitroglycerin tablet.

After 15 minutes from the onset of the attack, a tourniquet should be applied to one of the thighs. Before the arrival of doctors, the position of the tourniquet is changed every 30-40 minutes.

If breathing stops, it is necessary to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Algorithm of actions when breathing stops:

• Lay the person on his back on a flat surface, place a roller under his head.
• Fold your hands with your palms down, rest on the lower third of the sternum and perform jerky movements 60-65 times a minute.
• Artificial respiration is performed at the same time as chest compressions. If resuscitation is performed by one person, 2-3 artificial breaths are made every 13-15 pushes. If resuscitation is carried out by two people, one breath is taken for 5 pushes.
• After 30-35 seconds, it is necessary to assess the effectiveness of resuscitation. The pupils will begin to react to light, and the normal skin color will begin to recover.
• Even in the absence of visible results, resuscitation continues until the arrival of doctors.

Learn more about first aid for acute cardiovascular failure:

What the medics should do

The primary task of physicians who arrived at the call is to stabilize the patient's condition for transportation to the intensive care unit.

• First of all, it is necessary to stabilize gas exchange.
  

  For this, oxygen therapy is carried out using an oxygen mask, an inhaler or other devices, if indicated, tracheal intubation is performed.

• Relief of pain and depression of the respiratory center to increase breathing efficiency is achieved through the introduction of morphine or dopamine.
• The patient is given nitroglycerin or another vasodilator from the organic nitrate class.
• The blood pressure is stabilized to a conditionally safe value.
• With severe bronchospasm, aminophylline is administered.
• Furosemide is used to eliminate edema.

Urgent diagnostics

To determine an accurate diagnosis on an emergency basis, the following are carried out:

• X-ray examination of the chest organs;
• Clinical blood tests.

If technically feasible, the patient undergoes an MRI or CT scan. These methods provide the maximum amount of information, localization and degree of damage, peculiarities of blood flow disorders and greatly simplify the development of treatment tactics.

Treatment algorithm

In a hospital setting, after finding out the causes of heart failure, the patient is prescribed treatment.

With a right ventricular form

An isolated lesion of the right ventricle is rare. To eliminate the pathological condition, as a rule, it is required to eliminate its cause: in the pulmonary circulation.

With left ventricular

With left ventricular AHF, the following is performed:

• Artificial ventilation of the lungs with an antifoam agent;
• Stabilization of the heart rate;
• Stabilization of blood pressure;
• Elimination of edema.

Additionally, therapy of the underlying disease is carried out.

With ascites or hydrothorax, in addition to the appointment of diuretics, a puncture is performed to pump out free fluid.

Small Cardiac Output Syndrome Therapy

With cardiogenic shock, AHF develops as a small cardiac output. In such cases, it is necessary:

• Restore normal heart rate;
• Eliminate pathological reflexes that impede blood circulation;
• Normalize venous return;
• Restore tissue gas exchange;
• Eliminate myocardial contractility disorders.

Now you know how to provide first aid for acute heart failure, and what is the emergency medical aid for an attack. Be healthy!

Signs of a heart attack are the appearance of pain in the chest area, which can radiate to the left arm, shoulder blade, hands, left half of the neck and lower jaw, to both arms, to the shoulders, to the upper abdomen. The pain can be pressing, constricting, burning, or intense breaking. If the pain is characterized as stabbing, cutting, aching, aggravated by a change in body position or when breathing, then we cannot talk about making an accurate diagnosis of a heart attack. Pain can often be accompanied by weakness, shortness of breath, and severe sweating. The pain is felt for more than 5 minutes.

First aid for a heart attack

1. Take a sitting position, it is best to lie in bed so that the head is raised, or sit in a chair with armrests;

2. It is necessary to free the neck and give access to fresh air. You can open a window or vents;

3. Give the patient aspirin and nitroglycerin. If you experience severe weakness, sweating, shortness of breath or a sharp headache after taking nitroglycerin, the patient needs to lay the patient down, raise his legs (on a pillow, roller, etc.), give 1 glass of water, and no longer take the medicine. When the pain disappears and the condition improves after taking the medication, it is necessary to call a doctor and follow his instructions;

4. If the pain persists, then you still need to take nitroglycerin and call an ambulance. If, 10 minutes after taking nitroglycerin for the second time, the pain does not subside, then you need to take it a third time.

What not to do with a heart attack

1.A person with a heart attack should not get up, walk, smoke, eat until the doctor's permission;

2.If there is an intolerance to aspirin or it was taken on that day, then it should not be taken. Also, aspirin should be excluded if gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer is clearly exacerbated;

3. If blood pressure is low, if there is severe weakness, sweating, as well as severe headache, dizziness, acute impairment of speech, vision or coordination of movements, then nitroglycerin should not be taken.

Waiting for an ambulance

While you are waiting for the arrival of an ambulance, provide first aid: make sure that the patient is sitting or lying down. Free the patient from tight clothing, do not leave him unattended until doctors arrive.

It is harder to give first aid for a heart attack if the person has passed out. First of all, you need to check your pulse and breathing. To do this, you need to move your cheek to the patient's mouth and nose, feel his breathing and at the same time you need to monitor the movements of the chest. Try to feel the pulse in the carotid artery, which is located just under the jaw on the side of the neck.

If a person's heart has stopped and you cannot feel their breathing, then you need to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Performing an indirect body massage, even without the skills, you can save a person's life. Without CPR, the chances of a person surviving cardiac arrest decrease by 7-10% every minute. Thanks to a timely chest compressions, you can double or even triple the chances of the heart working again.

Before the arrival of the ambulance, you need to prepare all the packages of drugs or the drugs themselves, taken by the patient the day before; a list of medicines that can cause allergies in the patient or are not tolerated by him. If there are tapes with recording of electrocardiograms, then you need to arrange them in order, if time permits, according to the dates of their registration. If you find any medical documents (extracts, certificates), it is also advisable to arrange them in chronological order.

A heart attack is a severe, acute pathological condition resulting from insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle - the myocardium - with the development of ischemia (decreased blood supply) and necrosis (necrosis) of a portion of this muscle. The outcome of a heart attack without first aid can be fatal.

Myocardial infarction develops as a result of blockage in the lumen of a vessel (coronary artery) that supplies blood to the myocardium.

Causes of blockage of the lumen of the coronary artery

1. Thrombosis of the coronary arteries (for example, with coagulopathy - a violation of blood clotting);
2. Atherosclerotic plaques (composed of cholesterol and other fat compounds; deposited on the walls of arteries) are common, in 93-98% of cases;
3. Spasm of the coronary arteries.

Risk factors

• Elderly age;
• Increased blood cholesterol levels;
• Genetic predisposition;
• Arterial hypertension;
• Diabetes;
• Violation of lipid, carbohydrate metabolism;
• Obesity;
• Smoking;
• Alcoholism;
• Lack of physical activity;
• Nervous strain and overwork;

Learning to recognize myocardial infarction (MI) ❗

Acute heart failure is characterized by compressive, tearing pains deep in the chest, radiating to the upper extremities, neck, capturing the lower jaw, between the shoulder blades, less often into the solar plexus; can even radiate to the back of the head. The pains are accompanied by weakness, sweating (cold and clammy sweat), nausea, and dizziness.

Pain is not always present! In about 15-20% of patients, acute myocardial infarction is painless. More often painless MI is noted in patients with diabetes mellitus, as well as in the elderly. In elderly patients, myocardial infarction is expressed by sudden onset of shortness of breath, which can progress to pulmonary edema. In other cases, myocardial infarction, both painful and painless, is characterized by a sudden loss of consciousness, a feeling of severe weakness, the onset of arrhythmias, or simply an inexplicable sharp drop in blood pressure.

Causes of chest pain

All organs of the chest can be the source of pain in the chest. It is important to correctly identify a heart attack. But what if the symptoms are subtle? Below is a table showing the most common causes of chest pain.

What is forbidden to do with a heart attack

1. Perform physical activity: get up abruptly, move around, independently go to a medical facility. Since unnecessary movements increase the load on the heart!
2. Drink strong drinks: tea, coffee; smoke before the arrival of medical personnel
3. Take the medication - nitroglycerin - at a reduced pressure (below 90/60 mm Hg), since it causes a sharp drop in blood pressure, up to fainting

First aid

It is important to remember that the life and further recovery of the patient depend on the first aid provided on time.

Algorithm of actions

1. If MI is suspected: the patient, if he is conscious, must be seated, reassured. Best positions: sitting, leaning against the back of a chair or chair, reclining with bent knees. Provide access to fresh air; unbutton, loosen tight, squeezing clothing (bra for women, tie for men);
2. Call an ambulance;
3. In the presence of Aspirin or Nitroglycerin and the patient is not allergic to drugs: Chew aspirin (this accelerates the effect of aspirin) and swallow OR put Nitroglycerin under the tongue (do not chew, do not swallow);
4. In case of cardiac arrest (loss of consciousness, agonal breathing - shallow, frequent, wheezing, lack of breathing), immediately start CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation): place your hands in the center of the chest and start doing chest compressions followed by artificial respiration.

For reference

• The arriving medical staff must be sure to inform about the measures taken. For example, if the patient was given a dose of Aspirin, then an additional dose is not required in this case.
• If, after taking aspirin or nitroglycerin, the pain disappeared, the condition improved, it is still necessary to call a local general practitioner at home. This cannot be ignored.

What to do before the doctor arrives

1. Provide first aid to the patient, following the algorithm described above.
2. Prepare a list of medicines or packaging from them that the patient took the day before.
3. Names of drugs, substances to which the patient is allergic, intolerant.
4. Prepare medical documents (certificates, extracts), examination reports (for example, ultrasound of the heart, daily ECG monitoring) in chronological order.
5. For the subsequent hospitalization of the patient, you should collect a package with the necessary things: documents (passport, policy, SNILS), hygiene supplies (toothbrush, toothpaste, washable slippers, soap), change of clothes.

Useful video on the topic

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Today's article will be full of medical terms, but let's try to figure it out. Sometimes, in order to save a person's life, it is enough to perform very simple manipulations, let's talk about everything in order.

Heart problems most often occur in older people. Although more and more often middle-aged patients and even young people complain of heart failure.

As a rule, in the event of acute heart failure, urgent medical attention is needed. But relatives of a patient with heart failure need to know how to properly provide first aid to such a patient before the arrival of the ambulance team.

Most often, it is the competently provided first aid for a heart attack that saves the patient's life.

Signs of acute heart failure

The following forms of acute heart failure in humans have been noted:

• congestive - in this case, failure occurs either in the left or in the right ventricle, due to which blood stagnation occurs;
• hypokinetic, which is characterized by the occurrence of cardiogenic shock.

With a congestive form of heart failure of the left or right ventricles, blood circulates worse in the pulmonary or large circulation.

Due to poor blood circulation in the internal organs, various complications can develop. So, poor blood circulation in the lungs leads to acute edema in this section of the respiratory tract. The symptoms of this edema are as follows:

• the appearance of shortness of breath, which gradually increases and can lead to suffocation;
• a person is forced to be in a sitting position, since in a lying position he has bouts of shortness of breath due to the fact that ventilation is weakened in the lungs;
• severe cough with attacks with the release of foamy sputum;
• humid wheezing in the lungs is heard when inhaling - exhaling;
• the heart begins to beat faster;
• pronounced cyanosis of the skin, as well as the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx.

If pulmonary embolism occurs, then both cardiac and pulmonary insufficiency occurs at the same time. In this case, the patient manifests the following symptoms:

• a person at rest has severe shortness of breath;
• cyanosis is pronounced around the cube;
• the patient complains of severe pain behind the breastbone;
• if thromboembolism is accompanied by an infarction of one or both lungs, then the patient begins hemoptysis.

Symptoms of circulatory disorders in the systemic circulation are as follows:

• severe swelling of the veins in the neck;
• the occurrence of pain under the right rib due to increased pressure in the portal vein, stagnation of blood in the veins and a sharp increase in the size of the liver;
• a large amount of fluid accumulates in the peritoneal cavity;
• sometimes the development of acute death of the tissues of the hepatic pyronchema is possible, due to which the patient may experience jaundice of the skin.

The main goal of first aid to the patient

First aid for heart failure should be provided where the person has an attack.

The main purpose of such assistance is to reduce stress on the myocardium. It is also necessary to redistribute correctly the blood flow from the lungs.

The life of this person sometimes depends on how timely the first aid was provided to such a patient.

Actions for first aid to the patient at home

The first first aid that should be provided to a patient with acute heart failure at home before the arrival of an ambulance is as follows:

How important is first aid?

Why is it so important to quickly and correctly perform first aid when a person develops heart failure? Because in this case, the bill can go on for minutes, and the ambulance doctors may not be able to get there on time. And on how well loved ones know how to help the patient, his life depends, and not only his health.

An attack of acute heart failure is one of the diseases in which it is precisely the competent first aid that allows the patient to hold out until the ambulance arrives. And the doctors will already administer the necessary medications to the patient. And if necessary, the patient is hospitalized.

That is why everyone should know how to help such patients - after all, this attack can happen to a patient on the street, in a store, in transport, etc.

It was the competent first aid of passers-by that saved more than one human life during an attack of heart failure.

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