Coughing Delays Heart Attack : Expert

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Do you know that coughing delays heart attack?

COUGHING could delay heart attacks as it stabilises an individual's heart rate, thus providing more time for the patient to get medical assistance, a heart specialist said yesterday.

Dr Ganesan Thirunavukkarasu (pictured) said coughing can help increase one's heart rate and improves the blood pressure of individuals who were possibly developing symptoms of a heart attack.

"What has been noted with people who are developing heart attack is that the heart rhythm becomes irregular, sometimes it can go very low, or it can go very fast. When heart rate goes very low, they will feel a bit dizzy, in addition to chest pains," said the director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at Gleneagles JPMC.

During a "Know Your Heart Symposium" held to mark World Heart Day 2010, the heart specialist, who is also a cardiologist and physician consultant, added that these patients would then feel like they were about to faint.

 

"Some of the symptoms of a heart attack is chest pain, sweating and shortness of breath. They feel that they're going to faint, they might feel very unsteady, that they're going to faint, due to low heart rate. At that time, if they cough, it might improve," he explained.

"What happens is by coughing, you are increasing the heart rate. By increasing the heart rate, you are increasing blood supply to the brain, so you will feel better, the dizzy feelings will improve," the director added.

Dr Thirunavukkarasu said that coughing is also a method that would allow patients enough time to get medical help.

"It will give you time to stabilise your heart rhythm and improve your blood pressure, once the heart rhythm is stabilised, you'll have more time to reach the hospital."

He added that coughing would not necessarily help in every heart attack case and that the most important step was to immediately rush the patient to the hospital.

"It will not necessary help but delays (the start of) heart attacks."

Delivering his presentation, "Effective Management of Heart Diseases!", at the symposium, Dr Thirunavukkarasu outlined a number of effective heart disease solutions and managements.

The heart specialist highlighted that the most effective way for a healthy life is prevention, by taking care of diet, exercise and control of risk factors.

Source : AsiaOne Health

All pictures are downloaded from Google