Do you know what to do in an emergency? 

An accident or emergency – like a heart attack or choking – can  happen at any time. You can give first aid to someone until medical help  arrives. Taking action right away can save a life.

Take these steps now so you’ll be ready in an emergency:

• Know when to call 911.
• Learn how to help someone who is choking or hurt.
• Take a class to learn first aid, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), and AED (automated external defibrillator).
• Keep a first aid kit at home and in your car.

Remember, it’s important to plan ahead and be prepared for injuries and emergencies. Simple actions can save lives.

Know when to call 911.

Call 911 if someone needs help right away, including if someone is:

• In danger – like from a fire
• Very hurt – like from a car accident
• Very sick or not breathing
• Acting strangely

Learn more about how to use 911.

The 911 operator is trained to help you. When you call 911, it’s important that you:

• Answer the operator’s questions as well as you can
• Listen carefully
• Don’t hang up

Teach your children how to use 911 and keep the number next to the phone. Make sure everyone can reach the phone, especially children.

When someone is choking on something and they can’t talk, cough  very much, or breathe, it’s important to act right away. Brain damage  can happen just 4 to 6 minutes after someone has started choking.

Ask someone to call 911 right away, then tell the person who is choking that you will try to help.

Stand behind the person and do back blows (hitting between the  shoulder blades), abdominal thrusts (also called the Heimlich maneuver),  or both. Watch this video from the American Red Cross to learn how to do it.

If you are alone and choking, you can do the Heimlich maneuver on yourself.

Losing too much blood is very dangerous, and it can happen quickly.  If someone is bleeding badly, call 911 and try to stop the bleeding  while you wait for medical help. 

Press on the wound very firmly and steadily until the bleeding  stops. If you can, find something clean to put between your hands and  the bleeding, like a piece of cloth or a plastic bag. Learn more about how to stop bleeding.

Don’t try to stop bleeding with salt, baking powder, or other products. These don’t help bleeding and may cause an infection.

Calm, comforting words can help people during a medical emergency.  If someone is hurt, ask how you can help. People who are hurt or in  shock often feel cold, so try to keep them warm and calm until help  arrives. Check out this online training about comforting someone in a medical emergency. 

Taking a class can teach you how to give first aid and CPR, and how  to use an AED correctly. This training will give you the confidence and  knowledge to respond quickly and safely in an emergency.

• Learning first aid will help you know what to do for problems like burns, cuts, head injuries, and broken bones. Find out more about first aid.
• Knowing CPR can help when someone’s heart or breathing has stopped. Learn more about CPR.
• An AED is a portable device that can help when someone’s heart suddenly stops beating. Get the facts about AEDs.                                                            

You can take first aid and CPR/AED classes separately or together –  and you can learn to help people of all ages, from newborn babies to  adults.

Ready to get started? Find a first aid and CPR/AED class in your community.

A first aid kit has the things you need to treat someone who is  hurt. It includes supplies like bandages, tape, and scissors. Always  keep a kit nearby – including in your home and car.

Make sure each first aid kit has directions on how to treat basic injuries and when to get more help. Use this list to check the supplies in your first aid kit. When you use supplies from the kit, remember to replace them.

Learn and remember the location of first aid kits and AEDs in public places, at work, and at school.

Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: https://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/everyday-healthy-living/safety/learn-first-aid
Source Agency: Healthfinder.gov (ODPHP-HF)
Captured Date: 2017-09-06 14:27:20.0 

About 1 out of 10 people may have a seizure in his or her lifetime.1,2  That means seizures are common, and one day you might need to help  someone during or after a seizure. Would you know what to do?

There  are many types of seizures. Most seizures last for a few minutes. Here  are general steps to help someone who is having any type seizure:

• Stay  with the person until the seizure ends and the person is fully awake.  After it ends, help the person sit in a safe place. Once they are alert  and able to communicate, tell them what happened in very plain terms.
• Comfort the person and speak calmly.
• Keep yourself and other people calm.
• Check to see if the person is wearing a medical bracelet or other emergency information.
• Offer to call a taxi, friend, or relative to make sure the person gets home safely.

Seizures don’t usually require emergency medical attention. Only call 911 if one or more of these things happen:

• The person has never had a seizure before.
• The person has difficulty breathing or waking after the seizure.
• The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.
• The person has another seizure soon after the first one.
• The person is hurt during the seizure.
• The seizure happens in water.
• The person has a health condition like diabetes, heart disease, or is pregnant.

When  most people think of a seizure, they think of a generalized  tonic-clonic seizure, also called a grand mal seizure. In this type of  seizure, the person may cry out, fall, shake or jerk, and become unaware  of what’s going on around them.

Here are things you can do to help someone who is having that type of seizure:

1. Ease the person to the floor.
2. Turn the person gently onto one side. This will help the person breathe.
3. Clear the area around the person of anything hard or sharp to prevent injury.
4. Put something soft and flat, like a folded jacket, under his or her head.
5. Take off eyeglasses.
6. Loosen ties or anything around the neck that may make it hard to breathe.
7. Time the seizure. Call 911 if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.

• Do not hold the person down or try to stop his or her movements.
• Do not  put anything in the person’s mouth. This can injure the teeth or jaw. A  person having a seizure cannot swallow his or her tongue.
• Do not try to give mouth-to-mouth breaths (like CPR). People usually breathe on their own after a seizure.
• Do not offer the person water or food until he or she is fully alert.

• CDC Epilepsy Program

1. Hauser WA, Beghi E. First seizure definitions and worldwide incidence and mortality. Epilepsia. 2008;49(Suppl.1):8-12.
2. Hesdorffer  DC, Logroscino G, Benn EKT, Katri N, Cascino G. Hauser WA. Estimating  risk for developing epilepsy. Neurology 2011;76:23-27.

Content provided and maintained by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Please see our system usage guidelines and disclaimer. 

Not all heart attacks begin with the sudden, crushing  chest pain that often is shown on TV or in the movies. In one study, for  example, one-third of the patients who had heart attacks had no chest  pain. These patients were more likely to be older, female, or diabetic.

The symptoms of a heart attack can vary from person to  person. Some people can have few symptoms and are surprised to learn  they've had a heart attack. If you've already had a heart attack, your  symptoms may not be the same for another one. It is important for you to  know the most common symptoms of a heart attack and also remember these  facts:

• Heart attacks can start slowly and cause only mild pain  or discomfort. Symptoms can be mild or more intense and sudden. Symptoms  also may come and go over several hours.
• People who have high blood sugar (diabetes) may have no symptoms or very mild ones.
• The most common symptom, in both men and women, is chest pain or discomfort.
• Women are somewhat more likely to have shortness of  breath, nausea and vomiting, unusual tiredness (sometimes for days), and  pain in the back, shoulders, and jaw.

Some people don't have symptoms at all. Heart attacks that  occur without any symptoms or with very mild symptoms are called silent  heart attacks.

The most common warning symptoms of a heart attack for both men and women are:

• Chest pain or discomfort. Most  heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the  chest. The discomfort usually lasts for more than a few minutes or goes  away and comes back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or  pain. It also can feel like heartburn or indigestion. The feeling can be  mild or severe.
• Upper body discomfort. You  may feel pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, shoulders,  neck, jaw, or upper part of the stomach (above the belly button).
• Shortness of breath. This  may be your only symptom, or it may occur before or along with chest  pain or discomfort. It can occur when you are resting or doing a little  bit of physical activity.

The symptoms of angina  (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) can be similar to the symptoms of a heart  attack. Angina is chest pain that occurs in people who have coronary heart disease, usually when they're active. Angina pain usually lasts for only a few minutes and goes away with rest.

Chest pain or discomfort that doesn't go away or changes  from its usual pattern (for example, occurs more often or while you're  resting) can be a sign of a heart attack.

All chest pain should be checked by a doctor.

Pay attention to these other possible symptoms of a heart attack:

• Breaking out in a cold sweat
• Feeling unusually tired for no reason, sometimes for days (especially if you are a woman)
• Nausea (feeling sick to the stomach) and vomiting
• Light-headedness or sudden dizziness
• Any sudden, new symptoms or a change in the pattern of  symptoms you already have (for example, if your symptoms become stronger  or last longer than usual)

Not everyone having a heart attack has typical symptoms.  If you've already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same  for another one. However, some people may have a pattern of symptoms  that recur.

The more signs and symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you're having a heart attack.

The signs and symptoms of a heart attack can develop  suddenly. However, they also can develop slowly—sometimes within hours,  days, or weeks of a heart attack.

Any time you think you might be having heart attack  symptoms or a heart attack, don't ignore it or feel embarrassed to call  for help. Call 9–1–1 for emergency medical care, even if you are not  sure whether you're having a heart attack. Here's why:

• Acting fast can save your life.
• An ambulance is the best and safest way to get to the  hospital. Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel can check how you  are doing and start life-saving medicines and other treatments right  away. People who arrive by ambulance often receive faster treatment at  the hospital. 
• The 9–1–1 operator or EMS technician can give you  advice. You might be told to crush or chew an aspirin if you're not  allergic, unless there is a medical reason for you not to take one.  Aspirin taken during a heart attack can limit the damage to your heart  and save your life.

Every minute matters. Never delay calling 9–1–1 to take aspirin or do anything else you think might help.

Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/subscribe/4280
Source Agency: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Captured Date: 2016-03-15 20:20:00.0 

It can take months for your heart to heal from the  damage caused by a heart attack or other heart problem. Your doctor  will talk to you about steps you can take to help you recover, including  making healthy changes and joining a cardiac rehabilitation program.  This can also lower your chances of having another heart attack or heart  problem.

Your goals for heart attack or heart surgery recovery depend on how  badly your heart was damaged. Work with your doctor to set short- and  long-term goals for your recovery:

• Short-term goals may include resting until your  heart heals. Your doctor may also have you add physical activity (like a  walk around the room or the hospital floor) to help build your  strength.
• Long-term goals include making healthy changes  to your eating and physical activity habits at home and controlling your  risk factors for heart disease. Plan to see your doctor regularly to  check up on your progress.

Cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) is a medically supervised program to  help you recover from a heart attack or heart surgery. Under the  Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans must cover cardiac rehab  programs, although you will need to pay your usual copay or coinsurance,  and meet your deductible. Cardiac rehabilitation also helps lower your  chances of having another heart attack or heart problem.

Studies show that women may do worse than men after a heart attack.1 Women may also be more likely than men to feel stress, depression, or anxiety after a heart attack.2  This can make it harder for your heart to heal. People who take part in  cardiac rehab programs may improve their heart health and lower their  chances of a future heart problem.3  However, women, especially older women and minority women, may be less  likely than men to join or complete a cardiac rehabilitation program.4,5

During cardiac rehabilitation, you will do exercises to improve  your heart health and will learn about healthy changes you can make at  home. You may also get brief counseling for stress and to help control  other health problems that raise your risk for heart disease, such as  smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Cardiac rehabilitation can be expensive, but the Affordable Care Act requires that most insurance plans, including Medicare Part B, cover most or all of the cost of cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Learn more about cardiac rehabilitation.

Once you've had a heart attack, you are at high risk of having another heart attack. As you recover from your heart attack or other heart problem, take steps to prevent it from happening again:

• Control your risk factors for heart disease. Continue  the healthy habits you learned in cardiac rehabilitation at home,  including quitting smoking, getting regular physical activity, making  healthier eating choices, and taking care of your mental health.
• Work with your doctor on your treatment plan.  This may include taking medicine to lower your blood pressure or  cholesterol and seeing your doctor regularly to check on your progress.

Learn more about ways to prevent another heart attack or heart problem.

For more information about recovering from a heart attack or  surgery, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the  following resources from other organizations:

• What Is Cardiac Rehabilitation? — Information on cardiac rehabilitation from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• Cardiac Rehab Patient Resources — Directory of cardiac rehab programs from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation
• What to Expect After Heart Surgery — Information on heart surgery from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons

1. American Heart Association. (2013). Older Americans and Cardiovascular Diseases.
2. Xu, X., Bao, H., Strait, K., Spertus, J.A., Lichtman, J.H., D'Onofrio, G. …Krumholz, H.M. (2015). Sex Differences in Perceived Stress and Early Recovery in Young and Middle-Aged Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction. Circulation; 131: 614-623.
3. Beckie, T.M., Beckstead, J.W. (2010). The Effects of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program Tailored for Women on Global Quality of Life: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Women's Health; 19(11): 1977–1985.
4. Leon, A.S., Franklin, B.A., Costa, F. (2005). Cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Circulation; 111: 369-376.
5. Sandesara, P.B., Lambert, C.T., Gordon, N.F., Fletcher, G.F., Franklin, B.A., Wenger, N.K., Sperling, L. (2015). Cardiac Rehabilitation and Risk Reduction. Time to "Rebrand and Reinvigorate". Journal of the American College of Cardiology; 65(4):389-395.

This content is provided by the Office on Women's Health.

Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: https://www.womenshealth.gov/heart-disease-and-stroke/heart-disease/heart-attack-or-surgery-recovery-steps
Source Agency: Office on Women's Health (OWH)
Captured Date: 2018-04-27 21:40:00.0 

Seek  medical attention immediately if you or your child develops symptoms of  meningococcal disease. Symptoms of meningococcal disease can first  appear as a flu-like illness and rapidly worsen. The two most common  types of meningococcal infections are meningitis and septicemia. Both of  these types of infections are very serious and can be deadly in a  matter of hours.

Doctors call meningitis caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis  meningococcal meningitis. When someone has meningococcal meningitis,  the bacteria infect the protective membranes covering their brain and  spinal cord and cause swelling.

The most common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Stiff neck

There are often additional symptoms, such as

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Photophobia (eyes being more sensitive to light)
• Altered mental status (confusion)

Newborns  and babies may not have or it may be difficult to notice the classic  symptoms of fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Instead, babies may be  slow or inactive, irritable, vomiting, or feeding poorly. In young  children, doctors may also look at the child’s reflexes for signs of  meningitis.

If you think you or your child has any of these symptoms, call the doctor right away.

Doctors call septicemia (a bloodstream infection) caused by Neisseria meningitidis  meningococcal septicemia or meningococcemia. When someone has  meningococcal septicemia, the bacteria enter the bloodstream and  multiply, damaging the walls of the blood vessels. This causes bleeding  into the skin and organs.

Symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Vomiting
• Cold hands and feet
• Cold chills
• Severe aches or pain in the muscles, joints, chest or abdomen (belly)
• Rapid breathing
• Diarrhea
• In the later stages, a dark purple rash (  see photos)

If you think you or your child has any of these symptoms, call the doctor right away.

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