| If you or a loved one has heart disease, heart | | | | though. The clotting of blood would increase |
| attack prevention and treatment are very | | | | minute by minute, so the sooner you took the |
| important subjects. Your physician may have | | | | aspirin, the better your chances of keeping the |
| recommended taking a low dose aspirin each day | | | | finger bleeding. |
| to avoid heart attack. You may have heard that | | | | Of course, this would be foolish action in the case |
| you can increase your chances of survival during | | | | of a cut finger. You want the finger to stop |
| a heart attack by taking aspirin. But how? | | | | bleeding. You want the blood to clot. |
| How Can Aspirin Help in Heart Attack? | | | | In heart attack, however, you do not want the |
| Imagine that you are sitting watching TV with | | | | blood to clot. The reason for most heart attacks |
| your spouse. You begin to sense that your chest | | | | is the rupture of plaque in a coronary artery. |
| is heavy. It feels as though someone is tightening | | | | When the rupture occurs, the body senses injury |
| wide steel bands around you. You shift positions, | | | | and calls for platelets. The platelets hurry to |
| but the feeling remains. You take a few deep | | | | trigger a blood clot, just as they will in a cut |
| breaths and try to relax, thinking it is stress. The | | | | finger. As minutes pass, the clot grows larger and |
| pain begins to spread to your jaw and shoulder. | | | | larger. It grows until it completely blocks the |
| You mention it to your spouse, who turns to look | | | | artery. Blood can no longer flow to the part of |
| at you, dashes to the phone to call for an | | | | the heart served by that artery. Blood can no |
| ambulance, and returns with an aspirin. "For your | | | | longer carry oxygen to the heart. Without |
| heart attack," says your spouse. Why? | | | | oxygen, that part of the heart begins to die. The |
| How can aspirin help in heart attack? | | | | heart attack runs its course. |
| Heart Attack Scenario | | | | If aspirin is taken in the first few minutes of an |
| A heart attack is an active, ongoing event. It is | | | | attack, you slow down the rush of platelets, just |
| not something that begins and ends in five | | | | as in our example of the cut finger. You make it |
| minutes. You can limit the damage done to your | | | | more difficult for the blood to clot. You keep the |
| heart and body during this ongoing event by | | | | blood flowing, carrying vital oxygen to the heart. |
| taking action immediately after the heart attack | | | | You limit the risk of heart attack damage. |
| begins. Calling emergency services is one action | | | | How to Take Aspirin for Heart Attack |
| step. Taking aspirin is a second action step. | | | | 1. QUICKLY: The most important thing is to take |
| Paramedics will arrive quickly when you call 911. | | | | aspirin immediately if you sense you may be |
| They will give you oxygen and medication for | | | | having a heart attack. Aspirin needs nearly 15 |
| your heart attack. They will monitor your blood | | | | minutes to fully slow platelets. Get it into your |
| pressure and heart rhythm to try to prevent | | | | blood stream quickly. |
| heart attack complications. They will rush you to | | | | 2. AMOUNT: Take one 325 mg. of aspirin for |
| the emergency room of the nearest hospital. | | | | heart attack. Do not take two or three in hopes |
| Once you reach the Emergency Room, doctors | | | | of getting better results. A smaller dose is actually |
| and nurses will hurry to perform an EKG and | | | | more helpful than a larger dose. |
| blood tests to confirm or refute a heart attack | | | | 3. TYPE: The aspirin must not be enteric-coated. |
| diagnosis. If you are having a heart attack, | | | | The coating is added to keep aspirin from |
| doctors will usually try to open the blocked artery | | | | dissolving too quickly in your stomach. For heart |
| with angioplasty, a stent, or a drug. | | | | attack, you want it to dissolve as quickly as |
| But why take aspirin? If they are going to use all | | | | possible. Even when chewed, enteric-coated aspirin |
| of these modern "miracle-workers" on you, how | | | | have been found to dissolve too slowly. So be |
| can aspirin help in heart attack? | | | | sure you always have at hand non-coated 325 |
| Aspirin's Role | | | | mg. aspirin tablets. |
| Aspirin has been found to slow down platelets. | | | | 4. CHEW: It is very important that you CHEW the |
| Platelets are microscopic blood cells your body | | | | aspirin. Do not swallow it whole. CHEW the aspirin |
| uses to trigger blood clotting. If you cut your | | | | at least 30 seconds before swallowing it. Chewing |
| finger, blood begins to flow from the cut. | | | | will reduce the tablet to small particles, ready for |
| Immediately, platelets move to the cut finger and | | | | digestion. It will also stimulate saliva, which will |
| cause the blood to clot. If you were to take | | | | start the digestion. CHEW. |
| aspirin the moment you cut your finger, you | | | | In the October 1997 issue of "Circulation," the |
| would slow down the movement of platelets. The | | | | American Heart Association (AHA) journal, it was |
| blood would continue to flow freely for a longer | | | | reported that up to 10,000 more people annually |
| time. | | | | could survive heart attack simply by chewing one |
| You would need only a tiny amount of aspirin to | | | | 325 milligram aspirin tablet at the first chest pain |
| slow down every tiny platelet in your | | | | or other heart attack symptom. Be prepared. |
| bloodstream. You would have to take it quickly, | | | | |