Chest pain, trouble breathing, sudden weakness on one side, a fit or heavy bleeding needs help now, not an appointment.

112Any emergency108Ambulance102Pregnancy and newborn
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Breathing and the heart

Suspected heart attack

Also called heart attack, chest pain emergency, dil ka daura, seene me dard, myocardial infarction

Call 112 or 108 first, then start. Put the phone on speaker so the operator can talk you through every step while your hands stay free.

What you are dealing with

Crushing chest pain or pressure, often spreading to the arm, jaw or back, with sweating, nausea or breathlessness. Minutes of heart muscle are lost every minute.

Do this, in this order

  1. Call 112 or 108 immediately and say you suspect a heart attack, so the right ambulance is sent.
  2. Sit the person down, half sitting with knees bent, and loosen tight clothing at the neck and waist.
  3. Keep them calm and completely still. Any exertion increases the strain on the heart.
  4. If they already have a doctor prescribed spray or tablet for angina, help them use their own as they normally would.
  5. The emergency operator may tell you to give a 300 mg aspirin to chew, if the person is fully awake and not allergic to it. Do this only if they instruct you.
  6. Stay with them, and if they become unresponsive and stop breathing normally, start chest compressions.

Never do this

  • Never drive the person to hospital yourself if an ambulance can come. Ambulances carry oxygen, monitoring and defibrillators.
  • Do not let them walk, climb stairs or carry anything.
  • Do not give any medicine belonging to somebody else.
  • Do not wait to see whether the pain settles. Half of heart attacks are dismissed as gas or acidity.

Call an ambulance if

  • Call the moment you suspect it. It is far better to be wrong than to be late.
Call 112 nowCall 108 ambulance

After the emergency

Get it looked at properly

First aid buys time, it does not finish the job. Most of these situations need a doctor to check what happened, prevent infection, and decide whether anything more is needed.

Consult a doctorCheck a symptom instead

Get care for this

Doctors and care for suspected heart attack

Verified Teleprac doctors you can see online or in a clinic, lab tests with home sample collection, and genuine medicines delivered to your door.

See all first aid topics

Important. This page is general first aid education and cannot replace a hands on first aid course or professional emergency care. Techniques taught by the Indian Red Cross, St John Ambulance and similar bodies are worth a single day of your life. In an emergency, call 112 or 108 first and follow what the operator tells you, because they can see your location and know what is on the way.

Call 112 Ambulance 108

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Emergency numbers in India

Save these in your phone now, not when you need them. Tap any number to call it.

112Any emergencyOne number for police, fire and ambulance across India108AmbulanceFree emergency ambulance in most states and union territories102Pregnancy and newbornAmbulance for mothers and babies in most states14416Mental health supportTele MANAS, free counselling every hour of the day, many languages1800 116 117Poisoning or overdoseNational Poisons Information Centre, AIIMS New Delhi1098Child in distressChildline India, free and confidential

Where to read more

Public health sources written for patients rather than for doctors, and kept up to date.

Ministry of Health and Family WelfareOfficial Indian health programmes, advisories and public guidanceWorld Health Organization health topicsGlobal fact sheets written for the public, on hundreds of topicsNHS health A to ZPlain language pages on symptoms, conditions, tests and treatmentsMedlinePlusPatient information from the United States National Library of MedicineTele MANASIndia's national mental health support service, free and available all day

Important: Everything in Teleprac patient resources is general health education. It does not give you a diagnosis and it cannot replace examination by a qualified doctor, because it does not know your age, your reports, your pregnancy or the other medicines you take. Please do not start, stop or change any medicine on your own. Teleprac Healthcare is not liable for decisions made on the basis of this information. In an emergency, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest hospital immediately.