Heart Disease Health Center

Coronary Artery Disease

What to Do If You Have a Coronary Emergency

Learn to recognize your heart disease symptoms and the situations that cause them. Call your doctor if you begin to have new symptoms or if they become more frequent or severe. If you or someone you are with experiences chest discomfort, especially if there is shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, a fast heart beat, nausea or sweating, don't wait longer than a few minutes to call 911 for help.

If you have angina and have been prescribed nitroglycerin, call your doctor or have someone take you to the nearest emergency room if pain persists after taking two doses (taken at five-minute intervals) or after 15 minutes.

Emergency personnel may tell you to chew an aspirin to help break up a possible blood clot, if there is not a medical reason for you to avoid aspirin.