Heart Attack Treatment If you believe that you are having the symptoms of a heart attack, please call 911 immediately. When a heart attack strikes, the key thing to remember is that time equals muscle . The longer the delay in seeking medical care, the more heart muscle will be damaged. There is a window of opportunity to restore blood supply to the heart muscle by unblocking the affected heart artery. Treatments must be done in a hospital and include administration of clot-busting drugs to dissolve the clot at the site of the ruptured plaque and heart catheterization and angioplasty (in which the blood vessel is opened by balloon, often with adjunctive placement of a stent), or both. Self-Care at Home The first step to take when chest pain occurs is to call 911 and activate the Emergency Medical System. First responders, EMTs and paramedics can begin treating a heart attack enroute to the hospital, alert the Emergency Department that the patient is on the way, and treat some of the ...
Asthma Treatment Since asthma is a chronic disease, treatment goes on for a very long time. Some people have to stay on treatment for the rest of their lives. The best way to improve your condition and live your life on your terms is to learn all you can about your asthma and what you can do to make it better. Become a partner with your health care provider and his or her support staff. Use the resources they can offer -- information, education, and expertise -- to help yourself. Become aware of your asthma triggers and do what you can to avoid them. Follow the treatment recommendations of your health care provider. Understand your treatment. Know what each drug does and how it is used. See your health care provider as scheduled. Report any changes or worsening of your symptoms promptly. Report any side effects you are having with your medications. These are the goals of treatment: Prevent ongoing and bothersome symptoms Prevent asthma attacks Prevent attacks severe enoug...
Self-Care at Home You can make the diagnosis of fever by taking your temperature with a thermometer. In an adult, the thermometer is placed in the mouth or rectum (use a rectal thermometer). In general, a fever can be treated with any nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent such as ibuprofen (Motrin) or with acetaminophen (Tylenol). Both medications help control pain and fever. Alternating doses of each will also work and prevent accidental overdose. At times, a combination of both acetaminophen and ibuprofen will be needed to stop the fever. Aspirin is not the first choice for fever reduction. It may be toxic in large doses in adults or cause Reye syndrome in children. Ibuprofen comes in 200-mg tablets purchased over the counter at a drug store. You may take 1-2 tablets every 4 hours to decrease your temperature. Use the lowest possible dose. Side effects of ibuprofen include nausea and vomiting, which may be prevented if the medication is taken with food. Rare side eff...
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