Picture this: It's late, you're exhausted after a long day at work. The boss has been relentless with deadlines, and the stress has been building up. Suddenly, you feel a sharp pain in your chest that radiates down your arm. You're alone, about 8 km away from the nearest hospital or emergency room, and unsure if you can make it that far.
You know a bit about CPR, but no one ever told you how to apply it to yourself. Unfortunately, many people face heart attacks alone, and when the heart starts beating irregularly, you may only have about 10 seconds before losing consciousness. So, what can you do?
If you find yourself in this situation, start coughing vigorously and repeatedly. Before each cough, take a deep breath, and ensure that both the breaths and coughs are deep and forceful, like you're trying to clear your chest.
Repeat this cycle—deep breath, then deep cough—every two seconds without stopping, until help arrives or until you feel your heart return to a normal rhythm.
Why does this work? The deep breaths help oxygenate your lungs, and the forceful coughing compresses the heart, keeping blood circulating. This pressure may also help the heart reset its rhythm. In doing this, you might buy yourself enough time to get to help or for emergency services to arrive.