Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving skill that everyone should know. It can be used to help people who are experiencing heart or breathing problems, or in cases of drowning and choking. CPR has been proven to save lives when it's done correctly, but you also need to know your own heart health and how you can prevent a cardiac arrest from happening in the first place. In this blog post, we'll go over the basics of CPR plus what steps you can take to reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke.
CPR can keep you alive until help arrives
While it's not a replacement for professional medical attention, CPR can be a lifesaver. It's also not uncommon for people to think they'll hurt someone if they perform CPR. This simply isn't true--in fact, performing chest compressions on someone who doesn't need them is safer than doing nothing at all.
CPR is also very easy to learn: most community colleges offer classes in basic life support (BLS) techniques that teach you everything you need to know in an hour or less. And if you're interested in learning more advanced techniques and skills like artificial ventilation and defibrillation (the use of an electric shock), there are plenty of programs available through local hospitals or other organizations dedicated specifically toward helping people gain such knowledge without having any prior experience beforehand!
The best time to learn CPR is before an emergency occurs.
Learning CPR is a good idea. It's easy to learn and important to know before an emergency occurs. You could save someone's life or your own.
Learning CPR doesn't take long: you can learn from an app or take a class at a hospital or community center near you. If you're certified in one method of CPR but not another, don't worry! The techniques might be slightly different depending on your medical training--but they'll still keep the blood flowing through someone's body until help arrives (and hopefully before it's too late).
It is recommended learning hands-only CPR with chest compressions only, which can be done by laypeople who don't have medical training. To perform this technique, you'll need to call 911, then immediately begin performing chest compressions:
- Place the heel of your hand in the middle of your loved one's lower breastbone--the part between their nipples--and lean over them so that your weight is pressing down on their body.
- Press hard and fast at least 2 inches deep into the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 beats per minute (one beat every 5 seconds). While doing so, say "I'm helping" or "Stay with me." Then give breaths into their mouth:
- Pinch their nose shut with one hand; put your lips around theirs and give two slow breaths; release their nose; watch for coughing or movement indicating that they are breathing on their own again before continuing with CPR until help arrives
If you are certified in traditional CPR with breaths and compression, that is also a good skill to have.
If you are certified in traditional CPR with breaths and compression, that is also a good skill to have.
When someone's heart stops beating, they need immediate help. If you don't know how to do hands-only CPR (also called chest compressions only), learn right away! Hands-only CPR should always be used when someone has gotten into trouble or collapsed suddenly and no one else is available who knows how to perform both chest compressions and rescue breaths at the same time.
Hands-only CPR involves pushing hard on the center of the chest at least 2 inches deep each time, at a rate of 100 times per minute (about once every 5 seconds). You may have heard that people can perish from lack of oxygen within four minutes; this is true even if their hearts keep beating because blood flow will be cut off from their brains after about 3 minutes without circulation through their bodies' major arteries--and since brain cells cannot survive without oxygen for more than 4 minutes without damage occurring...it becomes very important that we learn how best we can help ourselves or others who might need our assistance during an emergency situation involving cardiac arrest!
Save a life by knowing how to do CPR
If you or someone nearby is suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest, you could save their life by knowing how to do CPR.
CPR can save lives, but only if you know how to do it. If you don't know CPR and are in an emergency situation where someone needs help right away, the best option is calling 9-1-1 immediately--but if that isn't possible and someone nearby has been trained in traditional CPR with breaths and compression (also called "compression-only"), they may be able to provide chest compressions until paramedics arrive on the scene. it is recommended learning hands-only CPR with chest compressions only as part of its "Global Hands-Only" initiative because laypeople can administer this type of lifesaving treatment without needing any medical knowledge whatsoever!
Conclusion
CPR and heart health are both crucial to survival, but they don't have to be a burden. By taking the time to learn CPR and keep your heart healthy through diet and exercise, you can save lives while also protecting your own. If you ever find yourself in an emergency situation where someone needs CPR but isn't breathing--or if you witness someone having a heart attack--remember these tips.
