Aspirin alone won't save your life if you're having a heart attack. When you call for help, the emergency operator may tell you to chew an aspirin, but will first ask if you have an aspirin allergy or other health conditions that would make taking an aspirin unsafe.
Aspirin Inhibits Blood Clots
Aspirin works on platelets by stopping their clotting action. Since blood clots can block the arteries that supply blood to your heart, the anti-clotting action of aspirin means blood can flow more easily while you seek further medical help to take care of the blockage.
But people who think they may be having an attack need an extra 325 mg of aspirin, and they need it as quickly as possible. For the best results, chew a single full-sized 325-mg tablet, but don't use an enteric-coated tablet, which will act slowly even if chewed. And don't forget to call 911, then your doctor.
Aspirin won't treat your heart attack by itself. After you call 911, the 911 operator may recommend that you take an aspirin. He or she can make sure that you don't have an allergy to aspirin or a condition that makes using it too risky.
Don't take aspirin if you have chest pain due to an injury. Also, don't take aspirin if you are allergic to aspirin, have bleeding problems or take another blood-thinning medication, or if your health care provider previously told you not to do so. Take nitroglycerin, if prescribed.
Mild heart attack symptoms might only occur for two to five minutes then stop with rest. A full heart attack with complete blockage lasts much longer, sometimes for more than 20 minutes.
Yes. Medications that are called blood thinners, work to prevent blood clotting and help the blood flow more smoothly. Aspirin blocks blood cells, called platelets, from clumping together and forming blood clots.
When arteries are already narrowed by the buildup of plaque, a clot can block a blood vessel and stop the flow of blood to the brain or heart. Taking a regular dose of aspirin diminishes the ability of your blood to clump together into clots by targeting the body's smallest blood cells.
If you think you're having a heart attack, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number. If you don't have access to emergency medical services, have someone drive you to the nearest hospital. Drive yourself only if there are no other options. Take nitroglycerin, if prescribed to you by a health care provider.
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint. You may also break out into a cold sweat.
Daily aspirin users may be better protected against heart disease or stroke if they take the blood-thinning pills before turning in at night, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's (AHA) annual meeting in Dallas this week.
You should start to feel better 20 to 30 minutes after taking aspirin. Aspirin is an ingredient in combined medicines such as Anadin Original, Anadin Extra, Alka-Seltzer Original, Alka-Seltzer XS and Beechams Powders.
After years of recommending regular aspirin to prevent heart attack and stroke, scientists now see little benefit for most healthy people, and say it may contribute to a risk of bleeding in your stomach or brain that goes up as you get older.
ASA can help by stopping the blood clot that is causing the heart attack from getting any bigger. Do not take other pain medications such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen) instead of ASA. Do not substitute ASA for medical care. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number first.
Pre-Heart Attack Symptoms – Female
Men may feel pain and numbness in the left arm or the side of the chest. In women, these symptoms may appear on the right side. Women may experience unexplained exhaustion, or feel drained, dizzy or nauseous. Women may feel upper back pain that travels up into their jaw.
Signs of a heart attack include:
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. - Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort. - Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. (If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.)
Heart muscle damaged by a heart attack heals by forming scar tissue. It usually takes several weeks for your heart muscle to heal.
If you visit a vein clinic or hospital for a blood clot and blood thinners are suggested to you, taking aspirin may be an option, instead. It is not for everyone, and will not be enough in all cases, but it does have a similar effect and may work well to reduce the chances of another blood clot in the future.
It can help prevent a heart attack or clot-related stroke by interfering with how the blood clots. But the same properties that make aspirin work as a blood thinner to stop it from clotting may also cause unwanted side effects, including bleeding into the brain or stomach.
In a “mini” heart attack, blood flow to the heart is partially blocked. Symptoms include chest pain and are similar to those of a heart attack, but there is less damage to the heart. The technical term for a “mini” heart attack is a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).
The pain of a heart attack differs from that of a strained chest muscle. A heart attack may cause a dull pain or an uncomfortable feeling of pressure in the chest. Usually, the pain begins in the center of the chest, and it may radiate outward to one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
Over 50% of heart attacks have "beginning" symptoms that may come and go for days or weeks. Early symptoms include: Mild chest pressure, aching or burning that comes and goes.