How To Save Someone Who Is Having An Angina Attack

Angina occurs when fatty deposits build up in the walls of the coronary arteries leading to the heart. This causes the walls to become thinner, and disrupts the flow of blood to the heart muscle. Naturally this is a serious condition and will cause the sufferer to experience significant pain in the chest. This pain can easily be mistaken for a heart attack, and it should be treated as one until it is proven otherwise.

Chest tightening is one of the main symptoms of an angina attack. It is alarming but quite typical to see a sufferer clutching their chest, and crying out in pain. The pain is caused by a narrowing in the coronary artery, which supply's the heart with oxygen. The pain can also spread to other areas of the body; like the abdomen, jaw and arms. These symptoms are remarkably similar to that of a heart attack, and angina should be treated as one, until it is proven otherwise.

It is important to then offer the casualty reassurance to the casualty. At the same time you will need to ascertain from them if they suffer with the condition. The emergency services should be called if the answer is no, as they could be suffering a heart attack. It will always help the first aider if the casualty does tell you that they suffer with angina. This enables the first aider to move onto the treatment protocol for angina.

The casualty should be placed into the half sitting position around about this time, which will protect the heart from any undue stress.

The emergency services should also be called if the casualty becomes unconscious. These types of casualty's should be placed into the recovery position; because this will keep their airways open whilst you await the arrival of the emergency services. It must be stressed that the emergency services can actually be contacted at any time. You will never get in trouble for making the call, and it does not matter if the condition is wrongly diagnosed. Remember an ambulance can always be cancelled, or slowed down in the event of a less serious illness.

The key difference between an angina attack and that of a heart attack is that angina sufferers will recover rapidly when rested and when given their medication. Those who know that they have the condition should carry a Glyceryl triturate spray with them at all times. This is sprayed into the back of the mouth and may negate the effects of an attack. First Aiders are not expected to be trained on the use of these sprays, and should seek professional medical assistance if they are unsure.

An angina attack is similar to a heart attack but the key difference is that they typically only last for 1 - 15 minutes. A casualty suffering with a heart attack will not get better whilst you are treating them, and often will deteriorate. The safest bet is to treat the two conditions as a heart attack until it is proven otherwise.

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