How to Survive a Heart Attack when Alone

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1Take Action

2Recognize the Symptoms

3Prevention and Preparation

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Tips and Warnings

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As if the thought of having a heart attack isn’t worrisome enough, what would happen if you had one while all alone? Thankfully, it is quite often possible to survive and recover from a solo heart attack. The odds increase greatly if you immediately recognize the symptoms and take several prompt measures, the most important of which is calling for emergency medical assistance. So, when in doubt, take action and get help!

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Take Action

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   Stop what you’re doing, especially if you’re driving or exercising. If you’re driving and think you may be having a heart attack, pull off the road right away. The risk of losing consciousness and getting into a serious accident is too great. The only time you should consider driving yourself to the hospital is if all other options have been completely exhausted and it is, quite literally, the only way for you to get emergency medical treatment.

   • If you’re exercising or engaging in physical activity, stop right away! The more strain you put on your heart, the more rapid and severe the damage will likely be.
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   Contact emergency services (such as 911) as soon as possible. Unless you’re driving or exercising, this should be your absolute first step. As soon as you call, the dispatcher will send an emergency medical team your way. The dispatcher can also give you life-saving advice while you wait. Remember that every second counts!

   • Always call emergency services before calling a friend or relative.
   • If you’re at home and are able to do so, unlock the door so the emergency medical team can enter when it arrives.
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   Call a trusted friend or relative after connecting with emergency services. When the dispatcher says it’s okay to do so, put them on hold and call someone you trust who lives nearby. If you can call someone who knows CPR, all the better. Their presence may be life-saving if you lose consciousness due to cardiac arrest and require CPR.

   • When they arrive, put the other person on the phone with emergency services. That way, even if they don't know CPR, the dispatcher can walk them through the process if you lose consciousness.
   • Do not rely on the person you call to get you to the hospital unless instructed to do so by the emergency services dispatcher. Wait for the paramedics to show up.
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   Chew a 325-mg uncoated aspirin to possibly limit your heart attack’s severity. Aspirin limits blood platelet formation and delays the formation of blood clots—which means it may help keep the blockage that’s causing your heart attack from getting worse. Chew the aspirin instead of swallowing it so it gets to work faster—and, if possible, chew an uncoated aspirin instead of a slow-dissolving, enteric-coated aspirin.

   • If you only have 81 mg aspirin tablets, chew and swallow 4 of them instead.
   • Chewing the aspirin releases more of the medicine directly into your stomach and bloodstream.
   • If you have been told by your doctor not to take aspirin—due to a clotting disorder, allergy, or drug interaction, for instance—do not use this treatment unless your doctor has said it is okay to do so in this specific emergency situation.
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   Take a nitroglycerin tablet only if your doctor has prescribed it. If you have had a previous heart attack or are at high risk, your doctor may have given you a prescription for nitroglycerin tablets. Follow your doctor's specific instructions, but generally speaking, chew up an aspirin tablet first, then place a single nitro tablet under your tongue and let it dissolve.

   • If your prescribed nitroglycerin is in spray form, spray it under your tongue as directed.
   • Do not use nitroglycerin unless it has been specifically prescribed for your use in this type of situation.
   • Nitro tablets work by relaxing your blood vessels, which eases the strain on your heart muscle.
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   Sit down with your knees bent and elevated to improve circulation. Sit on the floor with your tailbone several inches/centimeters away from the wall, then lean your shoulder blades back against the wall. Prop up your knees with a pillow or rolled-up blanket while keeping your heels on the floor.

   • Sitting with your knees up improves circulation more than does lying flat on your back, with or without your legs elevated. Both options are better than standing up, though, because you may collapse and injure yourself.
   • If you’re in a situation in which you can’t immediately sit down, focus your eyes on a large, fixed object, such as the horizon. Doing so can reduce dizziness and disorientation.
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   Take deep, steady breaths of fresh air. Your instinct might be to take rapid, panicked breaths, but the best way to maintain a steady supply of oxygen to your blood and your heart is to breathe slowly and deeply. Slow, deep breaths also have a calming effect, which moderates your heart rate and helps you to act rationally.

   • If you’re indoors, try lying down in front of an open window, open door, fan, or air conditioner. Providing yourself with a consistent stream of fresh air can further help supply your heart with oxygen.
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   Use calming techniques like counting slowly to help manage your anxiety. Having a heart attack, especially while alone, is going to cause some panic, and that’s okay. However, managing this panic as best you can may reduce the severity of your heart attack. Staying calm and relaxed—relatively speaking, considering the circumstances—can help keep your heart rate steady and slow.

   • Counting slowly can have a calming effect—think of counting sheep at bedtime!—and help slow your heartbeat. Count at about a 1-second pace, for example by saying, “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand,” and so on.
   • Also try other calming techniques that have worked for you in other situations—for example, picturing a soothing memory, praying, or repeating a mantra.
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   Avoid attempting “cough CPR” in nearly all instances. Stories about using “cough CPR” to survive a heart attack alone have been circulating online for over 20 years. While based on a hospital-based technique sometimes used to prevent cardiac arrest, coughing forcefully and repeatedly almost certainly won’t help—instead, it will likely get in the way of taking the proven measures listed above.

   • To work effectively, you must time your deep coughs correctly in order to increase the pressure in your chest and keep your blood circulating. This is nearly impossible to do without medical direction, only helps if you’re about to go into cardiac arrest and pass out, and may potentially (if done incorrectly) increase your chance of going into cardiac arrest.
   • Attempt this technique only if you have been taught how to use it—and have been instructed to use it in such an emergency—by your doctor.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Recognize the Symptoms

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   Treat chest pain and other common symptoms as clear warning signs. You probably expect a heart attack to cause chest pain, and this is a common—but not universal—symptom. Heart attack-related chest pain usually occurs in the center of the chest and includes sensations of heaviness, tightness, pressure, aching, burning, numbness, fullness, and/or squeezing. The pain may last for several minutes, go away briefly, and come back repeatedly. Additional, “classic” heart attack symptoms include:

   • Unexplained pain in the torso or upper body, including the arms, left shoulder, back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
   • Difficulty breathing or feeling out of breath.
   • Sweating or cold sweats.
   • A feeling of fullness, indigestion, or choking.
   • Nausea or vomiting.
   • Light-headedness, dizziness, or feeling faint.
   • Unexplained tiredness or weakness, such that you can't do easy tasks.
   • A rapid or irregular heartbeat.
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   Watch for subtle symptoms without chest pain, especially as a woman. Even though women frequently experience the tell-tale chest pains of a heart attack, they are also more likely than men to experience alternative symptoms with mild or no chest pain. These symptoms, which are often subtle and can occur on-and-off for up to a month beforehand, may include the following:

   • Pain that spreads down the left arm.
   • Unusual, ongoing fatigue.
   • Difficulty sleeping.
   • Frequent heart palpitations.
3. 
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   Get help and take potential life-saving actions instead of delaying. Never downplay your symptoms! People often expect a heart attack to be dramatic and instantaneous, but the truth is that many heart attacks are mild and can continue for hours. No matter the initial severity of your heart attack, quick treatment—ideally within the first hour—is critical. If you experience unexplained heart attack symptoms for 5 minutes or longer, take action!

   • The longer it takes to get treatment for a heart attack, the more difficult it is to repair the damage done to your heart. The ultimate goal is to have the constricted artery back open within 90 minutes to minimize damage as much as possible.
   • Other conditions, including GERD, angina, muscle strains, and panic attacks, can mimic heart attack symptoms. Even if you do have one of these conditions, assume you're having a heart attack unless you are confident that you're experiencing familiar symptoms from your other condition.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Prevention and Preparation

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   Reduce your heart attack risk with healthy choices like diet and exercise. Talk to your physician about your risk for a heart attack. Depending on your age, health conditions, family history, and other factors, your doctor will recommend a series of actions you can take to make having a heart attack less likely. Take these recommendations seriously—they might save your life! Common recommendations include:

   • Adopting a heart-healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet.
   • Getting regular exercise.
   • Making healthy lifestyle choices, like quitting smoking.
   • Taking medications to deal with any cardiac issues you might have—these can include beta blockers, blood thinners, nitroglycerin tablets, statins, and a range of other medications.
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   Keep a "go list" of medications and emergency contact information. This is a good idea no matter your heart attack risk. Keep an index card in your wallet or purse that contains a up-to-date list of your medications and dosages on one side, and at least 2 emergency contacts on the other side. Hand it to the paramedics if you’re able to do so.

   • Especially if you’re high-risk for a heart attack, it’s also a good idea to keep all your medications (in their original bottles) in a convenient travel bag. Show these medications to your doctor when you arrive at the hospital.
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   Wear a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) if you’re at high risk. A PERS is an electronic device you can wear around your neck or slip into your pocket. You can activate the device when you experience a heart attack or other medical emergency and are unable to reach a phone to call emergency services.

   • If you have both your PERS and your phone with you, try calling emergency services directly first. You’re likely to get faster treatment this way. Use the PERS only if you don’t have your phone or can’t connect with emergency services right away.
   • Do thorough research before purchasing a PERS to determine which has the best features and the best known reliability. Talk to your doctor for recommendations.
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Tips

• If you’ve had a heart attack previously or are at high risk for one, ask your doctor about carrying bottled oxygen with you. You can use the oxygen supply during a potential heart attack.
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Warnings

• Eating and drinking are probably the last things on your mind during a heart attack—but just in case, avoid food and drink even if you want them. Having anything other than aspirin in your system can make it more complicated for paramedics to give you adequate treatment.
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